


The Baser Urge Manifestation

by thisisonlineright



Category: The Big Bang Theory (TV)
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Alternate Universe, F/M, Kinda, Penny has a lot of issues, Slow Burn, Smut, corporate world, manipulation level up to eleven, smut with plot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-31
Updated: 2014-11-28
Packaged: 2018-02-23 08:38:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 114,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2541332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisonlineright/pseuds/thisisonlineright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sheldon Cooper is the arrogant, cocky, condescending, selfish, short tempered, rude, genius new boss. Penny is the spoiled daughter of the owner that always gets what she wants. Blackmail can go a long way. Rated M for Penny's foul mouth and her uncontrollable libido.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Don't Play By the Rules

**Author's Note:**

> Smut warning.

Sheldon smiled at his newly organized desk. He had his writing materials to the right of his desk, as it was easier to reach with him being right-handed. He had his papers, files, staplers, etc. to the left so that he could grab them in one swift motion even while writing.

He had not intended to apply for the vice president position, but after the owner saw his resume, he got the job. Sheldon Lee Cooper was a very wise man, and if his parents had not interfered with his education he would have been a theoretical physicist by now.

He would one day vaporize the person who told his father that physics would not get him anywhere and told his mother that he was working for the devil. Luckily his credentials were mind blowing, and that got him several high positions in the business world. Right after his college graduation he was offered positions at various well known companies, including the one he was working for now, Penbark WG.

Penbark WG was a famous company known for its remarkable variety or products which ranged from daily household items to clothing. The founder envisioned a company that could provide all of man's necessities. It was pretty ambitious but it worked, and they had already started designing electronic devices that would compete with those big famous brands.

In his three years in the business scene, he was already at the top of the field, CEO at Calder Enterprises. Until a scandalous rumor got him to quit the company, much to the dismay of the  _other_  company heads. That led him to accepting Penbark's offer.

Every company head knew who Sheldon Cooper was; he was the arrogant, cocky, condescending, selfish, short tempered, rude, genius that had the clever strategy to get any company at the top of the field. Companies fought each other just to get him to work for them, which he thought was quite foolish.

He didn't have a lot of friends, or  _any_  friends at all. He was solely focused in his work, not wanting to interact with any of his co-workers. Nobody ever knew why, and nobody wanted to ask. There was just something about him that was so… intimidating. He had an icy glare glued to his face that not even the friendliest worker could start a conversation with him; he dismissed any non-work related things.

He spun his chair around, facing the giant window that framed the city. The people walking in the street looked so tiny, tiny enough to look like ants. It was like SimCity, he was the omniscient mayor that controlled their every move and they were his tiny toys.

He could get used to this.

Sheldon leaned back against his chair as he heard someone approach his office door,  _Vulcan hearing_.

"Where the hell is my laundry, Chris?"

He spun his chair, frowning at the person in front of him. A blonde, probably in her early twenties, wearing the most revealing clothes he had ever saw,  _how inappropriate._

"Excuse me miss, it is quite rude to  _not_  knock," he said, "and my name is not Chris."

The blonde stared at him, "who the  _fuck_  are you?"

Sheldon blinked at her choice of words. She had no proper etiquette, disrespectful and rude- bad parenting. Though he did have to speak with maintenance about the name outside his door, it should have already been displayed there.

"State your business here in my office, or I shall call security to escort you out."

She cocked her head to the side, "Oh so you're a new guy huh?" She looked around the room, "so what'd you do to get the position? Suck someone's cock?"

Such vulgarity! No one ever  _dared_  to talk in such way when he was in the room. Other than his father, but that was a whole different story. He really didn't like this woman.

"You do not know anything about me, and saying such is considered as slander. Please leave my office, the door is right behind you," he gestured to the door, "You're lucky I don't have a recorder, I could sue you."

She placed her hand on the door knob, slowly clicking the lock. He seemed like the perfect dog for her, smart, good looking and for once, feisty. Her previous dogs were too obedient and boring, change was sort of okay. It was time to test the waters,  _this would be fun_.

She chuckled; crossing her arms as she slowly approached his desk. "You heard me. I bet you sucked someone's dick to get this position. You don't look familiar, and that means that you're new, and no one has ever got this position right after getting into the company. You're just another one of those suck ups!"

The blonde pressed her thighs against his desk, bending over it. She towered over him, touching his tie while he pushed his chair away from her.

"I'd rather you not go near me. You are infested with germs, and I have not completely moved my things into this office," he shot her a dirty look, he wished that he had brought his sanitizer. He was only going to inspect his office, nothing more than that. "And once again, please leave my office."

She walked over to him, hopping up on his desk. Grabbing his tie, she pulled him closer. He glared at her, what his father said was true; women were nothing but fucking pains in the ass.

"So Mister new guy, do you like to play by the rules?" She whispered, glancing at his long fingers. She knew  _exactly_  where he could use those.

He raised his eyebrow, he wasn't sure where she was going with this but it was worth a shot. Maybe if he answered her questions she would leave him alone.

"I do. Life is much better with a plan and rules to follow."

She made a buzzer-like sound, "Wrong answer."

She roughly grabbed his right hand, pulling it in front of her face. "Please let go of my hand, your man hands are crushing it."

She frowned at him before examining his long fingers. "Rules are boring. It's  _much_  better to play against the rules. I don't play by the rules." She slowly licked his index finger, watching his reaction.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He didn't like what she was trying to do, and he didn't like her at all. He tried to pull his hand back but she had started sucking on his finger, causing him to close his eyes.

She swirled her tongue around his index finger, "Do you consider this as playing by the rules?"

He pulled his finger back, furiously wiping it on his sleeve. "I told you to avoid touching me. Shouldn't you be somewhere else?"

"There are rules about sex."

"What?" He shrieked.

"They say that you shouldn't have sex with a man on the first date. I think that you don't have to follow the rules, you can do it even  _without_ the date." She said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Sheldon placed both his hands over his ears, "Refrain from talking about coitus! Coitus is unsanitary and unnecessary! Please leave my of-"

She leaned forward, making their faces inches apart. She had wondered what he tasted like; he smelled good which means that he would taste just as good. Most of the guys she had been with never cared about hygiene. She could tell that he was  _very_  hygienic, his hand smelled like soap.

She licked her lips, "What do you taste like?"

"Please stop questioning me with illogical questions, and please move back."

"What do you taste like?"

"I am not answering that question."

"Why not?"

"It is inappropriate!"

"How is it inappropriate?"

"It is! Will you please move away!"

"But I don't want to."

"But you will."

"I will win."

"This is not a game!"

"It is for me."

"Who are you and why are you here?"

"I'm an angel sent to know what you taste like."

"My mother would hit you with a bible for saying that, now leave my office!"

She placed her hands on both sides of his faces, pulling him even closer. He just wouldn't shut up. Sheldon tightly closed his mouth;  _she was going to kiss him_!

She was contemplating on whether or not to kiss him. She looked at his lips, it  _was_  right there.

"Open your mouth." He shook his head, clenching his jaw as tightly as he could.

"I said, open your mouth." Her warm breath tickled his lips; he swore that he would  _never_  engage in such activities ever again.

She let out a frustrated sigh. "I see that you're playing hard to get," she looked him straight in the eyes, he had beautiful blue eyes. Usually the guy would have already begged for her by now, but no this guy was just stubborn as hell. Suddenly she got an idea, a devilish smirk forming on her face.

"So you're not gonna open your mouth?"

He nodded.

"Alright then, we're doing this the hard way." She removed her hands from his face and quickly undid his tie. Sheldon wanted to ask what she was doing, but talking meant opening his mouth.

Then he realized that his hands were tied behind the chair.

 _Junior rodeo._ She thought, it was a piece of cake.

 _How in the world did she do that?_  He thought, squirming in his chair. He didn't even know what her name was, and yet she was already sexually harassing him!

"Will you open your mouth now?" He shook his head, avoiding her piercing gaze. He wished that someone would just walk into the room and stop this madness. He stared at the door, trying to mind control someone into walking in.

The blonde looked over her shoulder, glancing at the door. "Oh were you thinking that someone will go through the door? I locked it. No one will go in," She positioned herself on his lap, leveling his gaze with hers "Trust me."

Sheldon  _never_ liked losing, and opening his mouth meant that she was winning. That was what he chanted to himself as Penny licked  _his_  lips. She flicked her tongue against his upper lip, waiting for a reaction.

"Still not opening your mouth?" He furrowed his eyebrows while shaking his head; he was not going to lose, not to someone like  _her._

She trailed her tongue down his neck, nipping and sucking at his exposed flesh which caused him to jerk upwards. She moaned from his reaction while Sheldon's eyes grew as wide as it humanly could. She mentally laughed; he looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"Good, a reaction," she remarked as she pinched his cheek, "I started to think that you were gay, and that would be such a disappointment, especially since I can feel that your little friend is quite…  _long._ "

He hated it when someone pinched his cheek, except when Meemaw does it, she's the only exception. "I think I know where to go from here." She swiftly placed her hand on the top of his pants, rubbing his erection slowly.

The blonde's eyes widened as he groaned. That was the goddamned sexiest thing she had ever heard.

She soon realized that his mouth had fallen open, she wasted no time in firmly placing her hands on the sides of face. Before he could react, she was shoving her tongue down his throat. He squirmed in his chair, trying to remove her hands from his face.

"Quit moving," she growled against his mouth. He opened his mouth slightly, roughly biting down on her bottom lip.

She pulled back, tracing her finger on her lip.  _Blood._  She glared at him, "I told you to quit moving."

"I never told you that you were allowed to violate my mouth with your germ infested tongue!" He huffed, wiggling against her.

"Oh stop whining! You're enjoying this!"

"I am not!"

"Then what's with your dick poking me huh?"

"Tone down the vulgarities woman! You are not a sailor!"

"You're not answering my question!"

"I have a right not to!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"All right then."

She started grinding down on his crotch. Sheldon painfully bit his lip as he uncontrollably jerked upwards, stifling the moan that was building inside of him. He was heating up from all this- whatever you call it.

"Tell me how you're  _not_  turned on!" she panted, rubbing herself on his covered member. He leaned forward, pressing his lips against his exposed collarbone and biting down on it.

"Ow!"

He bit harder, hoping that it would leave a mark. "Stop doing that!"

"Let me go, and I'll stop doing it" he murmured against his neck, sucking at it every now and then.

She was really wet, and she was  _very_  close to coming which never, ever, happened. Not at this rate, no, she never came this quickly. This actually never happened to her on  _any_  of her little one night stands, and she wouldn't let it happen now.

Especially, now that she was just getting started with her new dog.

She hopped off of him, her legs were like jelly.  _What the hell is wrong with me? I don't come, only they do! Why the hell am I so turned on?_ She felt her knees giving in and gripped the desk, she hated him.

Sheldon looked up at her, narrowing his eyes. "Untie me."

She didn't really have the strength to untie him, but she just really wanted to leave. She slowly bent down beside him, untying the knot.

He glanced down at his arms; it had bruised from how tight his tie was.

The blonde shifted her weight, she was  _so_ close, and with all the pent up frustration in her, she just really needed to release it. Without any help from him, of course.

He stood up and faced her, his vision had gone dark. She had pushed him too far, way too far. He swiftly pushed her up against the wall, pinning her arms above her head.

"You have pushed me past my limits, woman," he growled in husky voice. He started leaving trails of kisses down her neck, rubbing his fully clothed member against her. He then started to rock against her, making her throw her head back, hitting the wall.

But she didn't care, this was like heaven.

"Oh God" she moaned, biting her lip. She couldn't take it anymore; she was going to come,  _real_  soon. "I need you inside me" she whispered, sending shivers down his spine. He brought his hand to the inside of her shorts, massaging her wet panties while his other hand held her arm.

"You're wet."

"You're hard." she whimpered, trembling at his touch.

She leaned her head forward, biting his shoulder. She couldn't believe that she was about to have an orgasm while  _fully dressed._

"Do you really want me inside you?" She nodded. He removed his hand from the inside of her shorts causing her to moan, he then raised her hands above her head.

"Do you want me to slowly thrust into you?"

"Yes! Just do it already!"

"Are you going to orgasm?"

"YES JUST FUCKING DO IT!"

Sheldon stepped back, causing her to almost drop on the floor. She grabbed his shoulder, allowing her to at least stand. She tried to catch her breath; it was too much for her. She couldn't believe that someone had gotten her close to orgasm.

Suddenly she heard a click. She looked up and saw him holding up his phone. "This will keep you away from me."

_That bastard!_

"I am not an object that you can just use for your sexual satisfaction," he closed his eyes, though he couldn't control minds,  _yet_ , he could control his own body. He sighed in relief once he got his member to go down; his pants were not suitable for such. "There are said toys for that… method."

The blonde glared at him, "You're an asshole."

He smirked at her, "You started this miss….?"

"You don't need to know my name." She hissed, earning a chuckle from Sheldon, "And you don't need to know mine." He stepped back, going to his desk.

"Well then nameless woman, this is farewell," he looked over his shoulder. She was flustered, and she looked like someone who just had coitus. He wasn't sure if this was considered as coitus, but it would do. "Do not come into this office again."

She took a deep breath, she really felt weak. "You don't know who you're messing with."

He walked towards the door, "And you don't know who you're messing with."

"This won't be the last time you'll see me," she hissed, "I  _will_  get revenge."

"I think it will be the last," he unlocked the door, "you have approximately 20 minutes to leave this office. I have asked for security to come here as I saw a suspicious person, once they see you you'll be thrown out, you might even get fired."

"I don't work here."

"All the more reason to kick you out," he opened the door before glancing at her, "I won."

She let out a frustrated sigh as he closed the door. It would be harder than she initially thought. She took a moment to regain her composure, fixing her hair as she took deep breaths. She still needed to release herself from their little encounter.

She didn't know who he was, but she would get her way with him. She always did.

She smirked, she  _always_  got what she wanted, and she wanted him.

He won't win the next round.


	2. Rich Old Men Don't Like Young Guys

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sheldon gets blackmailed.

"H-hi my name is Bri-"

"And what exactly is your business with me?"

"Can we be friends?"

"What department are you from?"

"The produ-"

"Then, no. Goodbye."

Sheldon moved away from the girl, heading towards an unoccupied corner of the event hall. The owner decided to throw a 'welcoming' party for him accepting their offer. It seemed that the owner had really wanted him to join the company.

He grabbed a plastic cup on his way to the corner. Everyone was so noisy, and the nerve of some of them trying to befriend him. He had opted to not go, but the owner insisted.

He stood in the corner, taking a sip of his punch.

"Hi."

He looked down at the sudden voice. "Hello."

The short man held out his hand, smiling up at him. "I'm Leonard Hofstadter; it's an honor to have you in the company Mr. Cooper."

Sheldon raised his eyebrow at the man's hand. He was in no way shaking his hand.

"I don't shake hands."

Leonard eagerly nodded, retracting his hand. He had really idolized the man, he was a prodigy and the best there is in the business world, and he finally talked to him!

"From what department are you?"

"I'm the head of the electronics department."

Sheldon nodded, that was good enough. He personally liked the electronics department, trying the devices out before it was released was a perk of being the vice president of an entire company.

"Yes, I have tried the phone you have recently developed. It was quite impressive."

Leonard smiled, "That's great! At first I thought that it would be a problem-"

"I do not care about you problems," he placed his cup down, observing the room, "When can I leave this foolery? I do not like parties."

"Well, we're just waiting for the chief," Leonard answered, taking a bite of shrimp.

"The chief?" Sheldon asked, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion. "Yup, that's what we call him. He's a really nice guy, a bit scary, but overall nice. You've met him right?"

"Yes, I was just not informed that there is a particular name to call him."

Leonard stood on his tiptoes as the rest of the employees started to step back. He turned to Sheldon, "He's here. You should probably go there."

Sheldon watched as the "chief" stood on the small platform. He was the one who had interviewed him, and was the one who toured him around the building. With all the departments, it was impossible  _not_  to get lost. The event hall, where the party was held, was in the building as well, on the fourth floor.

The chief tapped the microphone, calling their attention.

"Hello there everyone," the employees greeted him in response, "I've gathered you here today to welcome the newest addition to our family."

Sheldon frowned, family? What foolery was this? This was pure work, he need not to fit in to their little family.

"Everyone, let's have a round of applause for our new vice president, Mr. Sheldon Cooper!"

Leonard turned to Sheldon as he clapped, "Go on stage! Everyone wants to see you."

"I highly doubt that." Sheldon took a deep breath before walking up the stage.

The chief smiled widely at him as he slung his arm around him. "Sheldon, we're really glad to have you in the company." Sheldon curtly nodded, "Yes, I too am glad to be in this company. It has been said that I am to call you chief?"

He chuckled loudly, confusing Sheldon. "Is there something funny about what I said?"

He clapped a hand behind Sheldon's back, "I don't want you to call me chief, boy. That's just what they call me when we're in the office, call me Wyatt."

Wyatt turned to the microphone, "As the kids say, let's get this party started!"

Sheldon followed Wyatt down to one of the tables. Sheldon searched the room for Leonard, who was happily talking with two other men.

"So Sheldon, how are you liking our company?" He passed Sheldon a bowl of nuts, which he just stared at. "It's been splendid. I find the employees hard working and loyal. The rooms are well kept, which pleases me well," he tilted his head to the side, "Oh, and the bathrooms are sparkling clean! Which was a problem of mine with the past companies I've been with."

Wyatt let out a laugh. He hated Calder Enterprises; it was his biggest competition and a dirty one too. That was why he was happy that Sheldon accepted his offer to work for their company, Calder didn't deserve him. Though he never did learn the reason why he quit, all it said on his resume was that he was unhappy with the company.

Maybe it was about the bathrooms?

A man tapped Wyatt's shoulder, "Sir, your daughter has arrived."

He turned to him, "Tell her that she is late, and that being late is very rude to our new head."

"Yes sir." The man turned, leaving the room. "That's Henry, our butler. He looks after my daughter."

Wyatt took from the peanut bowl, "Have you met my daughter? She also works here."

Sheldon shook his head, "No, I have not. I look forward to meeting her, sir."

"Now don't call me sir, call me Wyatt! You're like a younger version of me, boy." He took a sip of wine, he was the only who was allowed to drink here. "My youngest daughter is quite a handful; she loves the nightlife more than the company. My oldest daughter married the head of another company and is currently in the process of divorce, and my son, he doesn't really want to take over the company."

"I see, and where do I come in with this?"

Wyatt smiled, shaking his head. It was true that Sheldon was a bit slow when it came to conversations like these. He was said to be something else.

"Well, I'm not getting any younger, and none of my children want the company. I strongly doubt that my youngest daughter would marry a wise man," he swirled the wine in his glass. He had a fear that when he died, some uneducated idiot that wooed his daughter would take over the company he had worked so hard for. But when he heard about Sheldon, he had hopes that the boy would work for his company, and one day take over for him.

"I believe that you will be the perfect person to run this company when I'm gone."

"Why? Where are you going?"

Wyatt stared at him, dumbfounded.  _He really was something._

"I mean when I die. Sheesh kid, you're not sounding like the genius they say you are," he scratched the back of his neck. "Forgive me, I am still unsure about how to respond to such. I rarely interact with other people."

"I had thought that the former vice president was fit for the job," he gripped the glass, "until he did something so offending... I swear, Chris Jenkins will never work in this line of work again."

Sheldon grabbed a plate of hors d'oeuvres and placed them on the table. "If I may ask, what did he do?"

"He sexually assaulted someone in this company," he shook his head. He had hated that man's guts.

Sheldon nodded, "I see. Any type of harassment should not be tolerated…" he trailed off. It was not a topic he liked discussing. It was very…  _nostalgic._

Wyatt took a deep breath; he hated thinking about what happened. Whenever that topic was brought up, he just wanted to shoot someone.

Sheldon jumped when he heard Wyatt muttering various swear words under his breath. He always refrained from using such language. He stopped muttering once he saw Henry return.

"Where is she?" he asked looking over Henry's shoulder.

Sheldon took a piece of sausage from the platter. It tasted good, though it would have tasted better with spaghetti.

Henry frowned, "She is right outside the room talking to one of her friends."

Wyatt sighed; his daughter never really cared about anything that wasn't about her. "Tell her to get in here already; it's rude to keep Sheldon waiting."

Sheldon looked up, meeting Henry and Wyatt's gaze. "Oh don't mind me," he looked at the sausage, "Do you happen to have spaghetti?"

"I'll go to her now," he glanced at Sheldon, "I'll ask the cook if he could make you some."

Sheldon smiled, "Splendid! Now off you go." He passed the platter to Wyatt, "the food is great, by the way."

Wyatt chuckled, the rumors weren't true. Some company heads told him that he was a shallow, selfish, rude, heartless person, but he didn't seem like that at all. He was just a person that separates his work from his personal life, which was great.

That damned Chris never did that.

Wyatt's head shot up once he saw his daughter. Sheldon was happily munching on a sausage when Wyatt stood up, walking towards someone. It must have been his daughter.

A gentleman would stand up and greet the person, even if the sausages were delicious.

Wyatt walked back to the table, a huge grin on his face.

"Sheldon, this is my daughter, Penny. She's the head of the clothing department."

Sheldon wiped his mouth before standing up, "It's a pleasure to meet you-"

He was met by a familiar blonde smiling devilishly at him.

_It's her! She's the nasty little bitch from the other day!_

She took her hand out, offering it to him, "It's Penny,  _Sheldon."_ She said, pronouncing his name as clearly as she could.

He fought back the urge to send her one of the iciest glares he could muster. He couldn't believe that that rude, irritating  _thing_  was Wyatt's daughter! He swallowed the lump that was forming in his throat. Not only would he see her around, but she would be immune from getting thrown out!

_Son of a bitch, indeed._

He smiled; the fakest smile that he had ever formed on his face. "It's nice to meet you,  _Penny._ " He shook her hand before quickly pulling it back. He sent her a dirty look which she countered with that oh so familiar smirk of hers.

Wyatt quickly shook off the thought that was forming in his head. It seemed like they had already knew each other.

Henry returned, handing a phone to Wyatt. "Sir, Miss Barbara is on the phone. She is asking that you meet her at their company office. It seems that it is very important."

Wyatt took the phone and sighed. He was enjoying his conversation with Sheldon, but business was business. He turned to Sheldon who was still looking at his daughter, which he was still confused about.

"Sheldon, I'll have to go, it seems that something urgent has come up." Sheldon nodded, politely smiling, "It is understandable, I had fun."

Penny turned to her father, grabbing the phone, "Hey there Barbie! How are you and Hank doing? That's rude."

"But don't worry, my daughter will be here to entertain you."

Sheldon's smile fell, as the blonde smirked up at him. "I don't think that that is necessary, I was just about to go home."

Wyatt snatched the phone from his daughter, "Nonsense, you stay here and enjoy yourself. I'm sure that Penny will stay with you, right?"

She nodded, "Yup, I'm not gonna leave him."

The tall man cringed; he had no intentions of being left with her. Not after what happened the last time.

"See? I'm gonna go now, you two have fun. I'll see you tomorrow, Sheldon." He brought the phone to his ear, "Yes, I'm heading there right now. Don't mind your sister, Barbara, she was just messing around."

Sheldon watched as Wyatt and Henry left the room. He frantically searched the room for Leonard, maybe he could save him.

The blonde tugged his arm, "Hey."

"What?" He looked down at her, pulling her hand away.

"I masturbated three times thinking about what you did to me."

Sheldon stepped back, a disgusted look on his face. "You are repulsive!"

She linked her arm with his, gently tugging him. "Come with me to the bathroom."

He tried to shake her off, but she only held on tighter. "Why would I do that?"

"Cause I said so."

"Who are you to tell me what to do?"

She pouted, "Aww come on. I'm sorry about what I did, but I was curious!"

Sheldon averted his gaze, scoffing. "Yes, well curiosity killed the cat."

"I promise that I won't do anything to you."

"Are you willing to write it on a piece of paper?" She shook her head. "I am not going do it."

She shook his arm, "Why not? I promise that I won't do anything! Besides, I already apologized. I'm never ever doing it again." He didn't believe her, she is not to be trusted.

"I promised my dad that I wouldn't leave you. I've already disappointed him  _so many_  times, cause I couldn't meet his expectations. I could never be what he wanted me to be." She choked.

Sheldon sighed, he knew how that felt. His father never approved of him being a physicist nor a business man. He always wanted his son to be like him, like Junior.

"I don't want to disappoint him again."

"Alright, alright, I'll come with you, but no funny business."

Her face lit up, "No funny business!" She grabbed his arm, dragging him towards the door.

_She was a great actress._

* * *

Sheldon looked around the deserted floor; it was the clothing department on the 19th floor. He saw mannequins, designs and samples of Penbark's clothing branch.

"Penny, this is the 19th floor."

The blonde walked inside a room keeping the door halfway open. "I know. This is  _my_  floor."

He took one of the designs; it was a flower like thing. "The 4th floor had a bathroom. We are 15 floors higher than the closest bathroom."

He heard the sound of a flush then she reappeared in the room. "Those bathrooms were dirty, everyone uses them," she plopped down on one of the couches, "That bathroom is strictly for my use only. No one else can use it."

She patted the seat beside her, smiling up at him. "Come sit with me."

"We should go back to the event hall."

"Aww come on, I just want to relax," she leaned back, "I was over at a friend's house then suddenly my dad started calling me saying that the party had already started."

"Fine, but I'll give you fifteen minutes," he took a seat beside her, "and then we return to the function hall."

"Good enough for me." She smirked; she really should have pursued an acting career.

"Hey Sheldon."

"What?"

"I have a proposition for you."

"What proposition?" he asked, turning to her.

"I want you to be my new dog." She calmly said, grabbing his hand and giving it a lick.

He quickly snatched his hand back, "I told you no funny business! What foolery are you talking about?"

She held her hands up, "Sorry, had my fingers crossed."

_Drat! I knew that I should have written it in a proper agreement._

She turned to him, "I said, I want you to be my new dog." She gestured to him then to herself. "A human can't be a dog, what in the heavens are you talking about?"

"Do you know who Chris is?"

He crossed his arms, "That's the previous vice president who recently got fired."

"Do you know  _why_  he got fired?"

"Your father stated that he had sexually assaulted someone." He said matter of factly.

"That's correct. Chris was a good dog, he was very obedient. He did everything I told him to do."

"What does that have to do with anything."

"Funny thing about that," The blonde stretched her arms and legs; causing her skirt ride up. "I was the one who filed that sexual assault case."

He furrowed his brow in confusion, "Then why would you file a complaint against him, if he did nothing wrong?"

The blonde crawled towards him, her warm breath on his neck. "Because I wanted to."

He pushed her back, glaring at her. This woman was crazy!

"Why would you do that? Were you in a relationship?"

She moved back next to him, linking her arms through his. "He became boring. He was a very obedient dog, but he was just too dull," she shook her head, "He couldn't even get me to come."

Sheldon's eyes widened, his mouth had gone dry. "Couldn't get you to… come?"

She nodded, gesturing to in between her legs. "Come. Orgasm, whatever you want to call it."

"And that's the reason you got him fired?" he shrieked, "Because he could not please you in the field of coitus?"

"Coitus?"

"Coitus."

"Oh, sex, yup that's the reason. Now I want you to be my new dog," she traced his jaw with her tongue, "you taste  _so_   _much_  better."

He firmly placed a hand on her shoulder, holding her back as he wiped his jaw on his sleeve. "I will not be your so called canine! Your fifteen minutes is up, it is time for us to leave."

He stood up, but she quickly pulled him back down. "Let go of me."

"You really don't want to be my dog?"

"Of course not! I am not a low leveled person that you can just use to pleasure yourself!" He tried to pull his arm back, but her grip was too tight.

"Fine. You don't have to be my dog." She released his arm, allowing him to stand up.

He faced her, sending her a dirty look. "Good, now I'll be returning to the event hall. Please refrain from going near me, or I will issue a restraining order." He walked towards the elevator, pressing the button.

"The thing is, I won't be the only one who will be pleasured, Sheldon."

He looked over his shoulder, "And how is that?"

She got up from the couch, her hands behind her back as she slowly walked towards him. "I have connections, Mr. Cooper, or shall I call you  _wife stealer?"_

Sheldon froze in his place. His head started to hurt, he did not like bringing that up. No one knew about it, only those involved.

Penny stood in front of him, smirking. "You're probably wondering how I knew that huh?"

He looked down at her; fear in his eyes.

She licked her lips, "I did a little research about you, Mister new guy. I called Calder enterprises and asked about you, and guess what?"

"What?" He softly asked. "The owner of the company, Mr. Harrison told me  _everything_  about you." She placed her hands on his chest, pushing him backwards towards the sofa. "It turns out; you were fired because you were fucking his wife."

He looked away, avoiding her knowing gaze. She roughly pushed him forward, causing him to fall on the couch.

"He was going to sue you, you know," she placed her hand on her hip, "Unfortunately, the little whore intervened. He fires you, you stay away from her, everyone is happy right?"

"She… she…isn't…" he weakly said. "What was that?"

"Nothing." He said, defeated. It was true, everything she said was true. He had been attracted to Mrs. Harrison from the start, and she was too. He knew that what they did was immoral, but it was the only time that he allowed his heart to decide.

She leaned over him, planting both her hands on his shoulders. "Rich old men don't like young guys fooling around with their beautiful young wives, Shelly."

He winced at the sound of her voice. He felt powerless, and it was all because of that incident one year ago.

"If that got out, it would ruin  _your_  reputation wouldn't it?"

He weakly nodded. Instead of doing any legal action to him, they released a statement that he had parted ways with the company due to him being unhappy with them. It was far from the truth, but it was enough to save his reputation.

Sheldon was a very famous businessman. All of his achievements were broadcasted on the news, every company that offered him a job, all his contributions to Calder and G&P, the first company he worked for,  _everything_.

Who would want to hire someone who had a horrible reputation- a man who had committed adultery? Harrison wanted to add the case of sexual assault in his resume, but  _she_ just wouldn't let it happen.

"Now here's my proposition for you." She sat on his lap, tilting his chin up.

He really had beautiful eyes…

"My dad  _still_  doesn't know why you were fired, and if he discovers what you did, considering that I was 'supposedly' sexually assaulted." She gulped once she saw the look on his face. He had this pitiful hurt look on his face; which meant that this was a really sensitive topic for him.

She was winning!

"So you either agree to be my dog, you know and do  _everything_  I tell you to do, or I tell my dad the truth and ruin your whole career and reputation." She tilted her head to the side, "Your choice."

Sheldon sighed; he didn't want to lose to  _her, never her._ But if he didn't say yes, not only would he have a hard time getting a new job after Wyatt fires him, his mother would kill him. And just imagine how much it would disappoint his Meemaw…

"I'll do it."

The blonde smiled,  _victory is sweet._ She had to hand it to him; normally her dogs would immediately succumb to her from the first time they met. But he was something else; she even had to talk to that damn pervert Harrison to get dirt on Sheldon.

She now understood why her father had hated him.

Penny looked down at him; he had been staring at her all this time. "So are you going to obey your master?"

"Anything you wish."

* * *

Sheldon closed his eyes, she was wet. Very wet and though he barely brushed over her opening, she moaned arching her pelvis towards him. He swallowed nervously; he could tell she wanted to be entered.

"Get on with it, please!" He shivered at her warm breath on his neck.

She let out a quick gasp as he slipped a finger into her. Sheldon was intimidated knowing that her body was hoping he would fill this huge open space, but he found it oddly fascinating and began to massage her.

"Oh god! Don't stop!"

He started rubbing her clit with his thumb while he slid his fingers in and out of her folds. He watched as she arched her back in pleasure, moaning his name every now and then. They had moved inside her office just in case someone went into the floor. She had assured him that her office was sound proof. She had once played her Madonna album loud enough for the  _entire_  neighborhood too hear, and told her father that she would be doing the same in her office.

Though at that time, she was really talking about playing music.

Penny found every touch more magnificent than anything she had ever felt. Even the sensation of his breath on her skin made shivers descend down her body. None of her dogs were ever this great; nope not even one of them.

He clamped his lips over her erect nipple, gently sucking on it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, biting down on his shoulder- the pleasure was  _way_  too much for her. It was just like what she had imagined in their first encounter, except, with no clothes on.

Well, she had no clothes on.

Sheldon concentrated on  _not_  getting aroused. This wasn't the time for that, and somehow, bringing up Calder ruined the mood for him, that allowed him to avoid getting his member excited.

Thank god for that.

She was  _so_  close, she could feel it. She started grinding against his fingers, he felt  _magical_. And she was slowly losing her mind at his touch, it was more than she had initially expected from him.

Then there was a ring, then another, then another.

Sheldon looked up, pulling his fingers out of her. "Your phone is ringing."

She glared at the buzzing object on the table, "Forget about it. It's nothing!"

He shook his head, standing up. It was rude to not answer a phone call. He checked the name, it was Wyatt. "Penny, it is your father. You should answer it."

She grabbed his arm, pulling him towards her. "He'll call back, now hurry up and finish this." She growled, causing him to flinch. He had never met someone as sexually aggressive as her.

He walked back towards her, "Then will you call him?"

"Yes! Just fucking get over here and let me come!"

He sighed; maybe she would one day lessen the vulgarities in their next encounters.


	3. It Seemed Half-Hearted

Sheldon was going over the company's sales report when his door flew open. He lifted his gaze, it was Penny.

"Haven't I told you that you are banned from this office?" He said as he flipped the page, sales in the produce department were up.

The blonde marched towards his desk, "I'll be the one who'll say if I'm banned or not."

"Suit yourself," he placed the folder on his 'already read' bin and took another folder from the 'to read' bin. "I will soon be declaring you a  _persona non grata."_

She raised her eyebrow, "Person non what?"

He took a pen from the holder, writing down the statistics of the food department. "You have google, look it up."

The blonde grabbed his pen, throwing it on the ground. "Tell me or else I'm ripping your reports up."

He grabbed another pen, "Are you not aware that there are various copies of each status reports and that each department head is given one?"

Penny leaned against desk, glaring at him. She didn't like Sheldon's know-it-all persona, not at all. It was one of the most annoying traits about him. "Tell me what it means."

Sheldon sighed; the youth today really disappointed him. "Persona non grata is Latin for unwelcomed person. Some examples are; Benedict Arnold, Adolf Hitler, Judas…  _you._ "

"You're an asshole. But I'm not here to argue with you."

Sheldon leaned against his desk, lacing his fingers under his chin. That was interesting to hear; in the past month she had done nothing but argue with him and then force him to engage in coitus. He was planning on placing a plaque outside his office saying that she was banned from going in there, but her father might see it.

"Then what is your business here? As you can see I am very busy," she rolled her eyes, "Unlike you."

"Hey, I'm also very busy! It's just that I already finished my work, unlike you, who slacks around."

"Penny, I am the vice president, I watch over and check the status of every department in this company," he gestured to the folders on his desk, "While you draw and blab about clothes."

She crossed her arm, pouting. "It isn't just clothes… I design shoes as well."

"Wonderful, now tell me what you came here for," Sheldon glanced at the clock, he still had a few more folders, "I have to meet a deadline."

The blonde sighed, "Give me your phone."

"My… phone?"

"Yes, your phone!" She exclaimed in annoyance, "Give it to me."

"I don't see what you could possibly want with my cellular phone," he handed her his phone, "but there it is."

She took the phone and started pressing buttons. Once she was done, she smiled and handed it back to him. "There."

Sheldon furrowed as he retrieved his phone, "What did you do?"

"I felt bad that you only had four contacts on it, and the other one was the operator, so I gave you my number." She smiled proudly; it felt nice to give to charity.

"I didn't ask for your number."  _I also never planned on asking for it._

"Yeah, but now you don't have to ask for it!" She clapped her hands in front of her, "Go on, call me!"

Sheldon frowned as he saw the name she placed on his phone,  _Master._  Sighing, he pressed the call button, bringing the phone to his ear.

Her smile grew wider as she heard her phone ring. Taking her phone out, she answered the call. "Hey there Shelly!" She greeted, her voice booming in his soon to be raptured eardrum. He pulled the phone away from his ear, ending the call.

"Aww why'd you do that?"

"It is illogical for me to call you on the phone knowing that you are in the same room."

"You don't know how to have fun, do you?"

She saved his number before returning it in her purse. "What is the purpose of exchanging numbers? You can easily contact me via telephone. My office phone is number 12 on the directory."

"Well, just in case I need you to do something for me, I can easily call you."

"What would you possibly need? You have Henry and another handful of other people to do that for you."

She traced her finger down his tie; he had gotten use to her sudden acts of harassment. But he still hadn't gotten use to  _her_.

"They're not you."

She stepped back and walked towards the door, "You're free for today, I have a party to go to. See you tomorrow, Shelly!" He cringed whenever she called him Shelly. There was a certain ring to it that made it sound as if she was calling her pet.

Though, he  _was_  her pet.

* * *

It had been a peaceful day for Sheldon; there were no distractions, no lustful demands, and no Penny. He had finished the reports on time and was now on his break.

He sat together with Leonard, the head of the electronics department, Howard the engineer and Raj , the research department head. They were surprisingly fans of the same series he liked; Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, games etc. Though they were not as intelligent as he was, he had taken a liking to them.

"So this was what I wanted to do, maybe we could negotiate with Microsoft so that the phone could also be used as a controller for the Xbox!" They nodded in agreement, "Sony already has one. What do you think Sheldon?"

Sheldon turned to Leonard, his eyebrow raised, "Would it work on a non-touch screen phone?"

"It will." Leonard answered hopefully. Sheldon was his idol, and if he liked his idea, it meant that it was really good. "Very well, I approve of it."

Leonard mentally fist pumped,  _this was the greatest day of his life_.

Howard turned to Sheldon, ever since he arrived at the company; there was something he had wanted to ask him. "Hey Sheldon, is it okay if I ask you a question?"

"Seeing as that was already a question, yes you may."

"Have you met the chief's daughter, Penny?"

Raj and Leonard stopped eating and turned to Sheldon, they too, wanted to know.

"Yes, I met her during the welcome party last month. Why?"

"What do you think of her?" Raj asked his brows high on his forehead.

_She's an evil conniving bitch._

"Well, I do not interact with her much nor do I see her around; therefore I do not have a proper idea about her."

"You should stay away from her." Leonard blurted out, causing Howard and Raj to nod in agreement.

"Is she infected with a viral disease…?" Howard chuckled, "You'd be lucky if it was a disease." Sheldon raised his eyebrow in confusion, as Howard continued. "Ever since Penny joined the company, the vice presidents did not last longer than six months. They would always quit all of a sudden."

"Yeah, they said that she would befriend them  _then_  they would mysteriously quit. The longest vice president we had was Chris Jenkins," Raj looked around; his name was a very sensitive topic in the company. The chief had even passed a rule to not speak of his name; he was sort of like Voldemort.

"He lasted for a year, we already thought that the Penny curse had been broken then…"

"Then?" Sheldon questioned, was it about the false sexual assault?

Leonard took a deep breath, "He sexually assaulted Penny."

Howard turned to Sheldon, whispering, "Though there are rumors saying that it wasn't true."

Sheldon resisted the temptation to tell the truth, his face had already been twitching since they brought up Penny. Luckily, his food had saved him, with him concentrating on it.

"Nobody really knows why she targeted the vice presidents, but she did. The earlier ones left with a smile on their faces, while Chris' reputation was ruined." Leonard stated, digging his fork into the salad, "No one has had contact with Chris ever since he left, but they say that no company wanted to hire him."

"That's why you should stay away from her dude. She's a curse that can't be broken." Raj told him.

Sheldon sighed, it was too late. He had already been cursed with the Penny, and if he backed out he would turn into Chris. He wondered if he would ever break free from their little 'agreement.' He loved his job here at Penbark, it was the best company he had ever worked for. He didn't want to leave the company, but he wouldn't be under her command forever.

Howard stared at him, "Sheldon, your phone is ringing."

He snapped out of his thoughts and looked at his phone.

_Master is calling._

"Aren't you going to answer that?" Leonard asked, trying to see who the caller was.

"Ah yes, if you'll excuse me." He stood up and walked to the hallway. It was a good thing that the elevator went straight to the cafeteria; no one ever used the hallway unless they were going to the stock room.

"Hello?"

"Sheldon come over here."

He licked his lips, "Aren't you supposed to be at a party?"

"The party was boring. Buy me cake and get your ass over here." She growled.

He didn't know where she lived, and he didn't know where to buy cake. Wasn't he supposed to be free for the day?

"I don't know where you live."

"I'll send you instructions. Now get over here,  _now."_

* * *

Sheldon stared up at the building in front of him. It was one of the company's hotels, The Manor. The Manor was known to be a quite high class hotel, and it was not one of those hotel-apartments. He was not in charge of the hotels and restaurants; it was all under Wyatt's wing.

He gripped the paper bag in his hands; he had found a nearby cake shop and opted to buy a box of Red Velvet. She didn't give him a specific cake, so he just grabbed the first one he saw.

He checked the text message she sent,  _Go to the front desk and tell them that you're here to deliver something for me. They'll personally take you to my room._

Sheldon sighed and entered the hotel. The lobby was extravagant; everything about it screamed 'high class.' He made his way to the front desk, placing the bad on it.

"Hello, how may I help you?" The man said, not bothering to spare a glance at him. He frowned at the man, he was very rude.

"I am here to deliver something for Miss Penn-"

The man's head shot up, she had informed him about a guest coming by. How could he be so foolish to not entertain this man? "Right away sir," he walked towards Sheldon and led him to one of the elevators. "I apologize for not greeting you properly," Sheldon nodded,  _apology accepted._ "Miss Penelope had informed us about your arrival, and I was very busy."

"Spare me the explanation; I am not here to listen about your day but to deliver a package."

"I apologize, follow me." Sheldon followed him inside the elevator. The man took out a key card and slid it into a slot, "The penthouse is a very restricted area. Not even the closest of friends may access it. You must have a special key card that allows the elevator to reach the room."

 _This system must have been developed after Penny filed the case._ He thought as he watched the screen above the door slowly change numbers. The display changed to 'Penthouse' and the door opened.

There was a long hallway that led to a single door; the whole floor was probably all hers.

The man stayed inside the elevator, holding the door. "We are not permitted to enter the penthouse unless asked to. Just ring the doorbell and she will attend to you right away. Good day."

Sheldon stepped back as the elevator doors closed. He liked the security in this establishment, it was very… safe.

He made his way to the door and rung the bell.

Sheldon glanced at his watch, it was a quarter past three and he had not finished his lunch.

The door swung open and he was met by Penny in a bikini. He quickly looked away as he held up the bag. Though he had seen her naked numerous times before, he still felt embarrassed about seeing her that way.

She smiled up at him, "Why are you turning away? It's not like you haven't seen any of this."

"A gentleman does not peak," he stated, his cheeks turning red. "It's the hero that peaks."

Penny circled around him, "And who said that you were a gentleman, huh?"

He flinched as she rested her head on his back, wrapping her hands around his waist. "My grandmother did," she giggled, she loved messing with him. He suddenly felt the back of his shirt dampen and pulled her off, "Why are you dripping wet?"

"I just came out of the hot tub," she pointed to the hot tub out in her balcony. "Were you thinking about something else?"

Sheldon hastily shook his head, taking a step back, "Oh good lord no." He held the bag to her face, "Here is the cake you had asked for, take it and I will leave."

The blonde grabbed the bag and pushed him inside, "I didn't say anything about you leaving." She closed the door and turned to him. "The party was horrible, so I wanted to have a little fun with you."

"Why don't you just call up your other friends? I'm sure that they would be pleased to spend time with you."

She walked up to him, undoing his tie. "But I don't want to spend time with them," she flung it on the couch, "I want to spend time with you."

He gently pushed her back, "Haven't you spent enough time with me?"

"I don't think that it's enough." She seductively said. Unfortunately, Sheldon was oblivious to any type of flirting and thought that it was some type of rhetorical question.

"I think it's enou-"

She rough pushed him on the couch and slowly climbed on top of him.

"I have business to do Penny, I have yet to eat my lunch and you rudely interrupted me," he mumbled as she licked at his ear while unbuttoning his shirt.

"Oh, well," she whispered to him and yet again her breath tickled him, sending shivers up and down his body. He was very ticklish. She was running her hands up and down his chest as she pressed himself against her.

"I was thinking about you during the party, you know." She grabbed his hand and placed his hand inside the lower part of her bikini.*

"I imagined you touching me here." She said guiding his fingers to her clit.

She bit her lip as she tried to fight back her moan, she couldn't understand why she was so turned on while he laid there, all Sheldon-like. Sheldon often tried to not get involve in their little escapades, but he always found himself giving in.

Penny captured his lips and passionately kissed him, pulling his pants and briefs down. She made a mental note to get him boxers, tighty whities were a major turn off to her. But he made her feel so good that she couldn't even think straight.

He was simply too enticing. His eyes were so beautiful that she could just stare at them all day; her body was so ready to accept him. Penny found that once Sheldon gave in to her, he became irresistible. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she felt good, a bit too rough, but nevertheless satisfactory. Though, he still had what the others said lingering in his mind.

 _Forget about that._ This was just a game to her, and he wouldn't let her win.

He grabbed her wrists and rolled her onto her back and started to fumble with his clothes.

Then he yanked her soaked bikini down.

"Just get it in dammit!" It was almost  _too_  easy to enter her. He watched as her features pulled close together then relaxed. Her jaw slackened as she made little breathy noises by his ear.

He could smell the familiar apple shampoo she used. She had once tried coconut, but it had given him a headache and asked her to change it immediately.

He was thrusting into her as her hands clung to his back. She dragged her nails down his back, hard enough to leave a mark.

"That seemed half-hearted."

"You're awfully wet with me being 'half-hearted." He grumbled, "You don't shut up, do you?"

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No! Go faster!" she commanded, biting on his shoulder. It had become a thing for them, she would bite down on his shoulder and he would bite either her bottom lip or her neck. She didn't know why, but it always happened.

He pounded into her harder and faster, causing her to moan more frequently. She started to meet his thrusts with her own, grinding down on him every now and then. Like always, she was so close, while it took forever for her to hear the rare groan from him. She always aimed to make him do it, but he never did.

She tightened her grip around him, trembling as she felt her orgasm near.

He threw in a couple more thrusts then allowed her to reach her climax.

Penny felt like she was on cloud nine, like always. Though she had always wondered why Sheldon  _never_  came. His erection would suddenly disappear once she came, her dogs always came before she did, and it made her feel kind of hurt,

Sheldon got dressed then searched for some clothes for her. He was shocked when he saw clothes… scattered  _everywhere_. He cringed at the sight of the mess… it was like a pig sty! He would clean this up one of these days, whether she likes it or not.

He returned to the couch and handed her a shirt to wear, he didn't like to see all of her glory. "Here, wear this."

She looked at the shirt before putting it on. It was one of her ex's shirts that was a bit too big on her.

Sheldon grabbed a plate, a fork and a knife then took a piece of the cake. He was still hungry and coitus only made it worse.

The blonde tugged at his sleeve, "Hey Sheldon."

"What is it?" He asked, swallowing the piece of cake. When you're hungry, everything is delicious.

"Why don't you ever orgasm?" He almost choked at her question, causing her to roughly pat his back. "Excuse me?"

"You know, why don't you come?" She switched the TV on; she wasn't much of a fan of after-sex talk.

He wiped his mouth, and turned to her, "I simply don't want to."

"Why?"

Sheldon shrugged, this wasn't for  _his_  pleasure, it was for  _hers_. "I just don't want to. I am here to satisfy your needs, not mine." He looked away for a moment, "or else you would ruin my whole life and reputation…" he mumbled under his breath, soft enough that she wouldn't hear.

"Oh," she plainly said. Yeah, it did hurt.


	4. I'm A Big Ol' Five

For a person who didn't like following the rules, she sure did enjoy making rules.

A month ago, Wyatt had assigned Sheldon to manage the soon to be launched electronics department. That made Sheldon even busier than he had ever been, much to the dismay of a certain blonde. Whenever she had tried to get him to do something for her, he would either be Wyatt or the other department heads talking about what they could do to get the electronics department at the top of the field.

At first, Penny had been mad that he wasn't meeting with her; then she realized that Sheldon had been working night and day trying to come up with new products. She decided that since he had been such an obedient dog, she would lay down rules that would  _at least_ get him a bit relaxed. Well that was what she wanted.

Sheldon was close to banging his head on his table when his phone notified him about an e-mail. Sighing, he opened it. It was from Penny.

_Follow these rules, or else._

_**Rule #1** _ _: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays will be Sheldon's rest days. He will be free from doing any favors such as; laundry, cleaning, cooking, doing her paperwork, etc. But he has to at least check up on her once._

_**Rule #2:** _ _Penny is obligated to buy Sheldon lunch every Wednesdays, as it is the master's responsibility to feed the dog. Sheldon does not get a say on what they eat, or where, but will enjoy the meal with a smile and thank Penny. If Penny is unavailable at lunch time, it will be moved to dinner. Sheldon cannot reject the offer._

_**Rule #3:** _ _Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays are Penny days. Sheldon is obligated to have a fun night with Penny, and stay over at her apartment. On Saturdays, Penny will make breakfast and on Sundays, Sheldon will make breakfast. They will then spend another fun day together where Penny will choose the activities._

_**Rule #4:** _ _Sheldon will stop being 'half-hearted' during sex. And will stop being annoying._

_**Rule #5:** _ _Sheldon will in no way, have a say in this. If any rules are broken, Sheldon will have to watch a 2 day marathon of Jersey Shore. Only Penny can break, and change the rules._

_You're on a break for now. This is effective starting Monday._

Sheldon raised his eyebrow in confusion,  _rules? What rules?_  He took the telephone and dialed Penny's office number.

"Hello this is the clothing department, how may I help you?"

"Hello this is Sheldon Cooper, please redirect me to the office of the clothing department head."

"Oh Mr. Cooper, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize that it was you."

"Yes, you are forgiven; now please connect me to her office. There is something I must talk to her about."

"Very well sir, I'm connecting you right now." Sheldon leaned back against his chair, he was exhausted, and he really didn't want to deal with this. He had been talking with other company heads all day, trying to get them to have a joint product. It wasn't easy, but he got a few of the deals for the electronics department.

Penny answered the phone on the third ring;  _he must have read the e-mail._

"Well hey there Sheldon." She greeted, smiling against the phone.

"Penny, what was the e-mail you sent me? Is this some sort of agreement?"

"Nope, an agreement is where two parties agree to something. I'm not asking you if you're okay with it, I'm telling you that you have to follow it. And if I say that it's a rule, it's a rule. It's effective immediately, bye bye."

"Wait-" She hung up and smiled proudly.  _This would be fun_.

* * *

**MONDAY**

Sheldon let out a sigh of relief. He had finally closed the deal with Microsoft to get Windows 8 as the operating system of the company's cell phone line, WXG Picobus. It was a multi-million dollar deal, but he got it. The research department, led by Raj, had been creating an operating system for their electronics line, but they still could not get it to work. Leonard then asked him if he could get Microsoft to tie in with the first phones they release until their system was good enough.

He immediately went to the electronics department to tell Leonard about the news.

"Oh my god, Sheldon, that's… that's amazing!" Sheldon nodded, he knew that he was amazing. "It was not an easy deal to make, but it had worked. I also got them to sign a deal with for them to allow  _any_ of our products to have Windows 8."

Leonard ran a hand through his hair, a wide smile on his face. "I really am at a loss for words Sheldon. When they said that you were the best, you really  _are_  the best!"

"Yes, I am very aware of that. Will you be going to their head office to test out the new phone?"

The short man nodded his head, "Maybe after we finish the final product, we don't want to look like fools there, do we?"

"Yes, it's mandatory that our electronics line be one of the best. I will not allow any product of ours to fall under perfection." He peeked at his phone,  _no new messages._ "It's my job to do so."

Leonard had notice that Sheldon was waiting for something. He could tell by the look on his face. "Hey, Sheldon, is there something you have to do? You seem… anxious."

"No, I just thought that I had a new message." He shook his head, he had forgotten about the 'rules.'

"Oh yeah, that happens to me all the time!" Leonard told him, "Sometimes I think that my phone has a message but it doesn't. It's pretty frustrating."

Leonard told him that they would bring the Picobus once it had the final test run. Sheldon would have to go with them, it was Sheldon's job to tell the representatives about it since he was the one who made the deal with them. He made his way back to his office, taking his phone out. He had an eidetic memory and always followed the rules.

"Hello Penny, its Sheldon Cooper."

"Sheldon, I have your number saved on my phone."

"Yes but it is the polite way of calling someone. What if someone answered your ph-"

"Shush. I see you're following my rules, that's great. So did you call me for something?"

"Uh, how have you been?"

"I'm great. How about you?"

* * *

**TUESDAY**

Sheldon entered the main conference hall with a grumble. He had been up all night running through the phone's operating system and seeing what worked and what didn't. He would then have to design additional features then pitch it to Wyatt. Wyatt didn't want others to handle the electronics department. It was their biggest risk with all the competitors out there, and he needed it to be in good hands. He knew that Sheldon would do a good job, and he did.

He yawned as he settled in his seat, he was really tired.

"Mr. Cooper, nice of you to join us," Wyatt greeted with a smile, "Are you ready for your presentation?"

"Yes I am sir." He slowly stood back up, tiredly, and walked in front of the long table. He had just sat down, and now he was standing again. "I have closed the deal with Microsoft, they have agreed to back up our devices with their operating system until we are able to launch ours."

Sheldon looked down the table; all of the department heads were there. There was Leonard, the electronics department head, Raj from the research department, Howard, the development department's main engineer, and of course, Penny who was smiling up at him.

It had actually been a month since they actually talked in person. Whenever she tried to talk to him he would either be at a meeting or working intensively, which she surprisingly respected. He had thought that she would demand for his attention and threaten him whenever he couldn't do what she wanted. He would always pass by her while scurrying to  _another_  meeting, and she would always greet him. Their longest conversation was yesterday, when he had asked her how she was. It  _was_  part of the rules, and he wasn't a rule breaker.

"Not only is it  _not_  a onetime offer, but they are also willing to co-program the system if we would ever need help. Though, if we do grab that offer, we will be considered as a subdivision of Microsoft."

"So they'll help us create our operating system, as long as we add a little label that says we're a team from them?" Howard asked. Sheldon nodded in response, placing the signed document on the table. "That's exactly what they want. It appears as though we have gotten their interest, and they saw the potential of the phones. They don't want to miss out on the features  _we_  have created."

Howard blinked as he read the papers. "This is amazing! I can't believe you got that to happen!"

Wyatt chuckled; he knew that Sheldon could do it. "Sheldon you never fail to impress me." He turned back to the table, "Penny, I believe there is something about your new line of clothing?"

Sheldon smiled as he slowly made his way back to his seat. Penny had passed him by as she made her way to the front of the room. "So, it's summer time! And you know what that means," she motioned for Henry to turn the projector on, "A summer line!"

Sheldon slowly took out the folded piece of paper that Penny had handed him in their short encounter.

_You did great. Remind me to give you a bone – Master._

* * *

**WEDNESDAY**

Sheldon enjoyed the silence of the elevator. With his office being on the 20th floor the ride down to the cafeteria which was on the 4th floor, was quite a long one. Luckily, this was a mid-month deadline day, which meant that everyone had to be busy working before 5 PM. At the end of every month, Sheldon had to compile all the status reports and re-write them into one big report. Every mid-month was the department head's first part status report deadlines, then they would have to pass another one before Sheldon presents the company status report to Wyatt.

If reports didn't come by 5, Wyatt would throw an angry fit, and no one wanted to see that. With Sheldon being assigned to manage the electronics department, he also had to write a mid-month report. It was a good thing that he had finished the overall reports the night before, or else he would still be locked up in his office. The cafeteria would probably be empty with everyone procrastinating.

The elevator stopped on the 4th floor, it was time for his lunch. As the elevator doors opened, he was met by a familiar face.

"Did you forget what Wednesdays are about?"

Sheldon held a hand to chest; he almost had a heart attack. "You scared me!"

Penny grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back into the elevator, pressing the  _ground_  button. She turned to him, "Did you forget what the consequences of not following the rules are? Do you want to watch Jersey Shore?"

"Oh god no," he cringed, recalling one of the episodes he had found Penny watching. It was the short big busted girl and the other girl getting arrested. He swore that he had lost a few IQ points by just watching that show. "I feel as if I become stupid whenever I see you watching that show."

"I had a feeling that you would forget about it."

"Shouldn't you be in your office, working on your status reports?" He asked; concern in his voice.

"I already did it." Sheldon raised his eyebrow to her, "What you don't believe me? I finished it last night, it's with my secretary. You can even ask her."

Sheldon wasn't in the mood to argue so he let it go. The elevator door opened, and Penny dragged him across the company lobby, where even the receptionists were busy working. Sheldon was really impressed at the workers there; they were really hard workers.

"Shouldn't you be a bit more, low profile?" Penny shook her head as she pushed the glass doors open. Sheldon followed her to the outdoor parking lot, which was reserved for department heads. He had one as well, but he didn't drive. His apartment was a few blocks near the building, and he could walk if he wanted to. But he didn't want to, so he rode the company's shuttle. The forty minute walk in the night was very unsafe.

"No one cares Sheldon, everyone is busy as hell." Penny's car was a yellow Mercedes Benz SLK convertible. It was like the car Junior had always wanted to buy, except it was a much newer model. She opened the door, "Hop in."

"Oh no, I can't do that. My feet will hit the roof of your car, and I have no plans on paying for it."

The blonde chuckled, "I mean get inside, silly. Why would I ask you to jump inside?"

Sheldon slid into the passenger's seat, buckling the seatbelt. "You said hop in."

Penny glared at him as she drove the car out of the parking lot. "So where are we going?" Sheldon asked, checking his e-mail on his phone. "Well, it's a Wednesday, and that means that I'm going to buy you lunch."

"Why don't we just eat at the cafeteria?" He curiously asked. He liked the food served at the cafeteria, they were clean and delicious. Sheldon had also befriended the cafeteria staff and the head chef, Maria. Maria always gave him extra servings of his food whenever he had his lunch. She was a nice person, like a Latina version of Meemaw.

The blonde scoffed, "I don't eat at the cafeteria. Henry always gets Maria to cook me something else."

"Then why didn't you just get her to cook you something else?"

"Henry was busy with my dad, and Maria was busy doing a kitchen check." She turned to him, "I told you, everyone is busy as hell."

He nodded, licking his lips. "Alright. Where are we heading to?"

"I remember Henry telling me something about you asking the chef to make spaghetti with cut up hot dogs." From the corner of her eye, she saw Sheldon smiling happily. "So I decided to bring you to one of my favorite Italian restaurants."

* * *

**THURSDAY**

Sheldon watched as Leonard showed the final features of the phone. He and the other company heads were in the presentation room, it was where products were showed off. They would be flying to Washington to meet the Microsoft heads in one week, and they had to prepare the phone. They aimed for a phone that no one had ever done before, one that was not expensive but close to being indestructible. They had to be better than the other leading brands.

Leonard took the phone and dropped it to the floor, then picked it up and switched it on. "It can drop from more than 6 ft and still work, it's also scratch proof." Raj handed him a bowl filled with water. "It will also be," he dropped the phone in the bowl, watching as the other department heads gasped, "waterproof." He dipped his hand in the water then started typing on the phone.

"We're basically trying to make the Chuck Norris of phones." Howard remarked causing the department heads to laugh. He took the phone out of the bowl and scratching a nail on the screen, "See? It's scratch proof. But there will be more tests once we get the software in."

"The battery will last up to 35 hours, longer if wireless connections are switched off. If they aren't, the phone lasts up to 27 hours. Music can last up to almost 48 hours, and you can watch videos 12 hours straight."

Howard showed pictures of their test run, with a timeline showing the battery consumption of the phone. "The built in memory is 16 GB, and it can range up to 64 GB."

"It also has a 10 megapixel camera and it's going to be HD." Leonard handed the phone to Penny, who immediately grabbed it. "So you're saying that the pictures are gonna be so clear and high quality that I can zoom it and it won't pixelate?" Sheldon nodded, it was one of the main features of their phone, the ability to zoom endlessly without pixelation.

Howard switched the slide to a picture that they took using the phone. "You can zoom just enough to see the pores of the person you took a picture of, though it only works if it's a close up. But we promise that there will be no pixels."

"We're still trying to work on motion capture," Leonard started, showing another example of the pictures the phone took, "but that can wait."

Penny stared at the phone, "So this works right? What if I wanted to take a picture right now… how will I transfer it to my phone?"

Howard smiled, "That's a great question, it has Bluetooth, and it's already installed. There's a button on the menu that indicates the Bluetooth, unlike other phones, it can connect to all brands. You can try it now."

"But isn't it a bit dark to take a picture?"

Leonard showed another picture the phone took. It was a picture of a dog in a dark room, even with the room being pitch black; you could still see the dog clearly. "We call it Night sensors; you can still take pictures in the dark. It could also take pictures of ghosts if you'd like."

Raj handed them a tray full of Picobus prototypes, he didn't want to talk, so he volunteered to be their helper. "You may each take one phone and test it out. You can also ask questions."

Penny grabbed Sheldon's arm and pulled him to the back of the room while the others tested the phones.

"Penny, what are you doing?"

Penny brought the phone over their heads, "I wanted to take a picture. Smile!"

* * *

**FRIDAY**

Sheldon left the electronics department with a smile. The Picobus was set to be brought to Microsoft with a few minor adjustments. He felt relieved; the first product out of hundreds had finally been finished. Once they got the programming for the phone, they would move on to other devices like computers, game consoles, tablets and new phones. His work on the Picobus wasn't over though; he still had to overlook the marketing strategy and manage the next line of cell phones.

It had been a tiring day, but it was alright. He had accomplished a lot in a month's time and it was time for a relaxing catch-up marathon of Doctor Who. Sheldon greeted the floor secretary and made his way to his office. With a sigh he turned the lights on.

"Are you planning on going home to  _your_  apartment?"

Sheldon jumped at Penny's voice. She was sitting in his chair, her feet on his table. "Good lord, why must you always frighten me?" He eyed her, "And remove your feet from my table. Heaven knows what germ infested area those have been on."

Penny removed her feet off the table with a frustrated sigh. "For your information, the only place my feet have been is here in the building. And my car, and the Manor's lobby, and my suite, and they are all clean!"

He grabbed his messenger bag, placing his important documents and laptop inside. "Refrain from using the word 'and' all the time." Sheldon switched the lights off, "Are you staying in here, or what?" Penny grumbled, slowly following him out.

"Good evening Mr. Cooper," his secretary greeted, "I assume that you are heading home?"

Sheldon smiled at her, "Why yes. It has been quite a tiring month with the Picobus slowly nearing it's big debut. I believe that I am deserving of a relaxing Dr. Who catch up marathon while I eat cereal. I'm planning on regaining the days I've lost."

Penny's eyebrow shot up as she appeared from behind Sheldon. "Oh, Ice Pri- I mean Miss Penny, I did not know that you were on this floor, my apologies."

The blonde crossed her arms, glaring at the young secretary. "Yes, I've been here for quite a while now. You must have been on a break when I arrived."

"Once again, my apologies. Have a nice day."

Sheldon curtly nodded while Penny's glare intensified. Once the elevator doors had closed, Penny turned to Sheldon, causing Sheldon to back up a bit. "Although security footage is silent, they would still see you attacking me if you're planning on doing something."

"I'm not," she spat, "Your secretary is an idiot. I was there almost an hour ago and she didn't even notice me!"

"Yes well, she must have been doing other things." Sheldon eyed the floor indicator,  _15._  It was a long way to go. "What exactly is your business in my office?"

"You know, I've heard that line from you about a hundred times now," she said, shaking her head. "Did you forget about the rules Sheldon?"

"No, I did not."

"Then what was that about watching Doctor Who in your apartment? You're supposed to stay over at  _my_  place every weekend, remember?"

Sheldon blinked, he was so tired that he had forgotten about Penny's rules. Forcing his eye to stop twitching, he faced her, "I doubt that Alex would like to hear that I would be spending my night at your place. It would be quite… scandalous. But I would like to retire in my own apartment."

"So Alex is her name…" Penny trailed off, her glare glued on to her face. Sheldon looked up; they had finally reached the ground floor. "Alright let's go. I'm tired, and in need of a good nights sleep."

She grabbed his arm. "Where do you think you're going? You're supposed to stay with me tonight until Sunday. We just talked about this a few seconds ago."

He stared down at her; he really didn't want to go with her. For the past month, Sheldon had barely stayed at his apartment. He would get home at 9; eat his take out, take a bath, then sleep. Then he would wake up early, eat, take a bath, then go to work then he would repeat the cycle again. This was the first time that he had gone home early; he had missed out on all of the new Doctor Who episodes, and now Penny wanted him to stay at her apartment, and he was too tired to deal with her.

"Is this a staring contest or something? Cause if you're going to kiss me, there are people in the lobby."

Sheldon stepped back sending a glare at her smirking face. "I need to get clothes; I can't stay over somewhere else without clean clothes."

"Don't worry, I'll get that fixed. Now let's go, I bet you're hungry."

Penny grabbed his hand, dragging him out to the parking lot. "I really can't wear clothes that are not in rotation. Any clothes you will give me are out of rotation."

She turned to him, stopping the car. "Sheldon, you  _will_  wear the clothes I will give you okay?" He nodded obediently, "You don't even have a sense of fashion. If you weren't the beautiful minded genius, no one would take you seriously with those clothes of yours."

"Excuse me; I have a great sense of fashion. Your father always says so." He scoffed. "Yeah well, my dad loves everything checkered or plaid. That's the reason why he isn't the head of the clothing department."

Penny walked through the lobby dragging Sheldon with her. "Must you really drag me, I can walk on my own."

They stepped into the elevator, "That's the problem; you can walk on your own." Sheldon stared at her as she placed her key card into the slot, "Dogs need a leash; unfortunately I think cops would arrest me if I placed a leash on you. I know that you don't want to be here, but I'm doing this for you."

"For me?" he asked; his eyebrows high on his forehead. "How exactly is this for me?"

She ran a hand through her hair, she hated telling the truth. "Look, I noticed that you were a bit stressed with work, and I decided to make those rules so I could lessen your problems."

"How exactly does this lessen my problems?"

"Don't you ever feel lonely, Sheldon?"

Sheldon tilted his head, unsure of his answer. "I enjoy silence."

The blonde let out a sigh of frustration. The one time she decided to be open to him, he decides to return to his oblivious self. "I mean don't you ever get sick of eating alone, sleeping alone, living alone? Don't you want to have company?"

"No."

"You're impossible."

"I'm  _improbable,_ I exist, Penny."

"I just thought that I could do something for you once in a while," she softly said. "You're really doing a lot for our company, and I appreciate that. I just want you to relax."

"I'd be a little more relaxed if you didn't blackmail me." He muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "Nothing, it was nothing. Now what were you saying?" Penny grabbed his hand as the elevator door opened, pulling him to her apartment door. "Forget about it, you wouldn't understand."

Sheldon followed her inside, placing his messenger bag on the sofa. "Well that's great. I was bemused by whatever you were trying to say, I don't understand women." He lied down on the couch and closed his eyes; it was a good thing that it was a sectional sofa or else his feet would have stuck out. He moaned as his back rested on the material, it felt good to sleep.

Penny came back in a silk robe, it  _was_ Penny day. She stopped as she saw the sight of him peacefully sleeping on the sofa. Grabbing a blanket, she draped it over him; she didn't want him to get cold. "You're lucky that you're my favorite dog." She gently kissed his forehead and went to her room.

That night, Sheldon dreamed about him as a knight that saved a beautiful blonde princess.

* * *

**SATURDAY**

Sheldon woke up to the smell of bacon and pancakes. He yawned as he rubbed his eyes, scanning the room. Penny was at the kitchen dancing to some loud heinous song.

"You should tone down the music, I can bet that even the people in the lobby can hear it." He said as he walked towards the kitchen. "Good morning Sheldon," she greeted, a smile on her face, "Wanna dance with me?"

He took a seat on of the stools, "No thank you. Do you have cereal?"

"No, but look- I'm cooking bacon and pancakes for ya'"

"But I  _always_  eat cereal on Saturdays, while watching Doctor Who. I'm not eating anything that isn't on my schedule."

Penny stopped cooking and placed a hand on her hip. "So you're saying that unless I give you cereal, you're not eating?" He nodded. Penny grabbed the spatula and pointed it to him, "Now you listen closely to me, this is the first time I have  _ever_  cooked for someone who isn't  _me._ You're going to eat it, and you're going to love it."

Sheldon blinked while licking his lips. "Alright, you are my master, and I shall follow your rules."

Penny's smiled returned as she placed their breakfast on their plates. "Now that's what I wanted to hear," she pushed the plate towards him, "bon appétit!"

Sheldon skeptically stared at the plate, it looked like normal food, but he had a feeling that Penny had done something wrong. "Penny, didn't you just say that this is the first time you've ever cooked?" The blonde looked up, placing the fork down. "Yes, it's the first time I've ever cooked for someone who  _isn't_ me."

He stared at the plate before staring back at her. "Eat it, I know what it tastes like. Don't make me feed you." Sheldon quickly took a bite of the pancakes and smiled, it was surprisingly good. "See, I told you it's okay. That's what I feed myself when the staff here doesn't serve me breakfast."

Half an hour later, they had finished eating their breakfast in silence. Sheldon finished the dishes and walked back to the living room, where Penny had been flipping through a magazine. "Do you need me to do your laundry… fix your files… or something slightly connected to that?"

She turned her head to him, "Nope."

"Well that's wonderful," he clapped his hands together, "I need to take a bath… I'm gonna go home and get some clothes. I'll probably shower there."

She grabbed a bag Henry had delivered her and threw it at him. "That's a week's worth of clothes. Go take a bath, you smell horrible." Sheldon frowned as Penny giggled. He wasn't smell, he still smelled like his normal self, except with a bit of dirt. He then made his way to the bathroom and took his long awaited bath.

They spent the day talking about work and how the company was doing. Sheldon had told her about the products he and the others would be designing while Penny told him about the new line of clothing they were going to be launching. They ate lunch while watching Lord of The Rings on HBO, then Sheldon went over the clothing department's status report. After reading the reports, Penny told him that they were going to eat dinner at the hotel's restaurant. All of the staff knew who Penny was, but they were curious to who Sheldon was. But they really didn't care, they were used to seeing Penny with other men.

Sheldon immediately went to the couch once they arrived back in the suite. Their dinner was amazing, and he thought that the dessert bar was the best thing he had ever seen. Penny sat beside him, like she did hours ago. "I will definitely come back to that buffet. The yogurt machine was amazing!"

"I got pretty tired of it, I have been living here for years now." She said before yawning.

He grabbed the blanket and prepared the couch, he was tired. "Well I'm sleep, goodnight," he rested his head on a pillow, "once again, thank you for the meal, it was amazing."

The blonde turned to him, smirking. "Who said that we were sleeping?"

* * *

**SUNDAY**

Sheldon woke up in a hurry; he had forgotten to check his e-mail. It was 3 AM; he quickly threw a robe on him and tiptoed into the living room. Penny had added a new rule into the rule book.

_**Rule #6:** _ _Sheldon has to sleep in Penny's bed, and will stay there until she wakes up. No exceptions._

He grabbed his messenger and took his laptop out, switching it on. A day without checking his e-mail could cause him his life. There could have been a sudden deadline or a new document that he had to overlook. Maybe a rival company wanted to meet him that day to negotiate, he could never really tell. Even if it was his off days, he still had work to do.

There were a couple of e-mails from Wyatt and other company heads. He quickly replied to them and apologized for the delayed reply. Scrolling down, he saw an e-mail from Leonard.

" _Sheldon, you have to fill this out or else the chief will get mad at you. It's for the human resources department."_

Sheldon clicked on the link attached, it looked like a questionnaire. "Alright, this seems easy."

_Question #1: What is your profession?_

"The human resources director should already know what my position is," he stared at the screen, then started typing. "She must be stupid. Executive vice president at Penbark WG."

_Question #2: What do you like to do when you're not working?_

"Playing games or researching, or sometimes correcting other people's mistakes."

_Question #3: How many friends do you have?_

Sheldon stopped typing and took his phone out, dialing a number.

"Hello?"

"Leonard, its Sheldon Cooper, vice president."

"Sheldon? Why are you calling, its 3 AM. And I'm going to see you at work tomorrow."

Sheldon glanced back at the screen, "I have a question to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Are you, Howard and Raj considered as my friends?"

"Of course!"

"Thank you, that is all." He hung up then turned to his computer. "Three," he stopped typing to think for a moment, was Penny considered as his friend? "What a tough question. Let's make it four to keep it even."

_Question #4: What is your ideal vacation? Something adventurous like a trip to the jungle, or a peaceful day at home?_

"I don't like vacations… but I guess they need reference, so I'll go with watching Star Trek movies."

Sheldon heard footsteps slowly approaching him. "Sheldon what the hell are you doing? It's like, the middle of the night."

He turned to her, "Its 3 AM, and that is in no way the middle of the night." He turned back to his laptop as she took a seat beside him. "I'm filling out some sort of application for the human resources department. It's quite interesting."

"Deal with it later, Pam will understand. Go back to bed." Penny groaned, resting her head on the back of the sofa. She was still sleepy.

"I will after I finish this, I can't ignore work, you know that." He said as he continued typing. Penny peered at the screen and read the next question.

_Question #15: On a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being always initiated by him/her and 5 being initiated by you, how do you prefer you sexual encounters?_

"One." Sheldon said as he typed. Penny narrowed her eyes, she knew what this was- it was one of those dating sites registrations! She roughly grabbed his laptop and threw it across the room, smiling as it hit the wall.

"Penny! Why did you do that? My laptop is broken, and my files!" Sheldon shrieked as he ran over to his broken laptop. The screen was detached from the keyboard and had a huge crack on it. "You idiot, it's not one of those thingies that Pam makes as fill out, it's a registration crap for some dating site! I'll just buy you another one."

Sheldon stared at his laptop in horror, "No it is not, Leonard told me it was for work! It's not the laptop that I need, it's the files!"

Penny let out a sigh, "It isn't. You have to listen to me, cause I know," she stood up, slowly walking towards her room. "Oh, and I'm a big ol' five, and if you don't march back into the room, I  _will_ use it against you."

Sheldon dropped his laptop and hurriedly ran into the room. He could ask Howard to recover his files once he gets back to work.


	5. You Like Me

Penny tapped her foot on the floor, impatiently waiting for Sheldon to return.

Sheldon and some other irrelevant people were coming home from Washington. They brought the Picobus to the Microsoft headquarters to get the software in the phone. It had been almost 2 weeks since Sheldon had flown there and he had not even sent one message to her, nope not even one. She had to teach him a lesson; he had been a bad dog.

Henry entered the lobby, immediately walking over to her. She turned her head to him, crossing her arms. "Miss Penelope, why are you down here? Aren't you supposed to be working?" He asked, staring at the direction she was staring at. "I finished it already."

Henry turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "What you don't believe me? Why does everyone not believe me when I say that?"

"It's not that we don't believe you, it's just that we never see you doing anything."

"Oh shut up. Henry."

"So what are you doing down here?" he asked again, looking around the lobby.

"I'm just waiting for someone." She huffed; she hated it when Henry interrogated her. Well, he wasn't really interrogating her, but it sure did feel like he was. "And what are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with Barbara?"

"Your sister asked me to deliver some papers for your father," he raised the envelope he was holding, "and I know that you're waiting for Sheldon, don't lie, I've known you since you were in diapers- even before that!" The blonde smacked his arm gently, causing him to burst out laughing. "My hair may be white, and I may be more than twice your age, but that doesn't mean that I have forgotten how you act like when you're hiding something."

"Oh I do not like Sheldon; I just needed to speak with him about the status reports."

Henry mirrored her stance, "Oh why must you lie to me?" Penny gave him a confused a confused look, "I went over to the hotel the other day, and Chaz said something about a tall, thin man that always wore a suit staying over there on weekends."

"That could be anyone."

"Had bright blue eyes, a cold intimidating glare and kept on using hand sanitizer before entering the  _exclusive_  elevator," he countered her glare with his knowing look, "do tell me how that  _isn't_  Mr. Cooper."

"Stay out of my business Henry; you know what happens when I'm mad."

"You scream, break things, go to endless parties, and go on an expensive shopping spree."

"Oh I'm not like that," she turned away from him, frowning. "Okay maybe I am. So what?"

"Mr. Cooper is not like  _them_ , he's a good person. He does not have any bad intentions, and your father likes him very much. Why him?"

"What do you mean?" She drawled, her gaze intensifying. "Why did you choose him to be one of your… dogs? I have spent enough time with him and your father to be absolutely sure that he is not one of them. He may be a bit odd, but he has a heart of gold. And, I know that you are well aware of that, so why are you still doing this?"

She shrugged, "It's fun."

"I can see straight through your lies Penelope," he looked at his watch then towards the glass doors, "I'm not falling for them. Now, if your father is correct, they're arriving… now."

Henry turned towards the door as Sheldon and the others walked in. Henry turned back to Penny, smiling, "I have to give this to your father, don't be harsh on the boy."

Sheldon arrived with Leonard, Raj, Howard and a few other employees in tow. The deal had been successful and the operating systems installation was quick. There were just a few problems with the brand new features which got them to extend their stay. They would be launching the phone in a month, and glitches like that would ruin them.

"Bill Gates was so awesome," Raj exclaimed, "I can't believe he actually ate frozen yogurt with us! He must have been pretty impressed with the research I conducted."

"I don't think he was impressed with you, he was impressed with  _me._  I was the one who designed the coolest features of the phone!" Howard snorted, pushing the glass door open. "He loved the night sensor function, not the research that is still in-progress."

"Hey, I helped in designing the night sensor!" Leonard hissed, "I also helped design the other features,  _I_   _am_  the electronics department head!"

Sheldon followed them inside, yawning. He was the one who had to deal with all the problems; luckily they were small enough that he solved them quickly. While his colleagues gushed about how it was 'cool' to work with Bill Gates, he was at their lab, working on how to fix the device.

Leonard stopped walking once he saw Penny glaring at them. "Uh, hello Penny." He was afraid of her, the Ice Princess. When Leonard started working for Penbark, he had thought that she was kind of cute. But she  _was_  still a teenager then, and then years later she became a devil in a woman's body. Howard also thought that she was hot, blonde hair, pretty face, amazing body, but after she started working for the company, everything changed. All of the vice presidents started quitting and everyone became afraid of her.

"You're from the electronics department right?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. She didn't want to waste time talking to them; she had wanted to punish Sheldon… sort of.

Leonard nodded, stepping back. "My name's Leona-"

"That's nice," she said as she rolled her eyes. Sheldon caught up with them, he was still jet lagged from the plane ride. "Hello," he greeted, staring down at Penny.

"Sheldon, can I talk to you for a moment? I need you to go over some documents."

Raj tugged the back of Sheldon's suit, whispering. "Dude, don't she'll eat you alive!"

Sheldon shrugged him off, he knew what he was in for, and it was not worth ruining his reputation. "Certainly, shall we head to your office?" He calmly said, calling for the elevator. "Yeah, I just need to stop and get my lunch at the fourth floor, if you don't mind." Penny said. She didn't give a hoot and a half if Sheldon minded, she  _was_  the master.

"Not at all, I have all the time in the world"

That was the last thing the others heard before mentally screaming in horror. Sheldon was the best vice president they had ever had. Sure he was a bit odd… but he wasn't rude or as arrogant as the others. No, he was a cool guy; he liked Star Wars, played video games, and was a genius. They didn't want him to leave the company.

But it was too late, Penny had him.

* * *

Sheldon crossed his arms as he watched the floor indicator slowly change. "Where are we heading?"

"The fifth floor, no one will be there," she turned to him, her eyes filled with lust. "You deserve to be punished." He backed up against the elevator wall, "Why would I deserve punishment? I have done nothing wrong." She leaned back against the opposite wall, the security cameras would see them, and she didn't want people interfering with her activities. "Did you forget Rule #1?"

"Did  _you_ forget Rule #1?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, I asked you first. Answer my question."

"No I did not."

"Then why did you not text me, or call me, or anything?"

Sheldon jumped when the elevator door dinged, indicating that they were at the designated floor. He gestured towards the outside of the elevator, a hallway. Penny stepped out and immediately backed him against a wall.

"Why didn't you contact me, Sheldon?" She asked against his neck, slowly removing his tie.

Sheldon clenched his jaw. He had recently started to give in to her seduction. He  _was_ a man, though he was a homo novus that liked to think that he was above such urges, he sometimes just couldn't resist. Penny had reminded him of  _her_  and he gave in to temptation. He loved his brain, but he hated his body for letting her win.

"I was busy." He sternly said, avoiding her piercing gaze. Sheldon had noticed that her pupils were dilated which meant one thing,  _she was horny._ "Were you really busy Sheldon? Or were you avoiding me?" she whispered as she nibbled on his ear. "I told you, I was busy. Must I show you proof? I can… if you let me go."

She chuckled, "Oh Sheldon… if I could, I'd never let you go. But I can't, and I simply don't want to."

He started struggling against her as she pressed her body to his. She knew that he was turned on; she could feel her little friend poking her. "Penny, let go of me. I don't like being… held down." Penny leaned in and started to kiss his neck, causing him to stifle back a moan. "Aww come on, Shelly, don't hold it back," she placed a hand on his belt, unbuckling it, "I know you want to."

"You don't know nothin'" He spat, wiggling against her. He absolutely hated the fact that Penny was stronger than him. Wyatt had once told him about Penny joining Junior Rodeo; it was something that caused Sheldon to wince every time Penny held something similar to a piece of rope. It also made it easier to pin him down.

"I like it when you're angry," she seductively whispered, throwing his belt on the floor. "Makes me want you even more."

"Yes well, the same does not go with me."

"Rule #4 and 5, Sheldon. Do you really want to watch Jersey Shore  _that_  much?" she teased, removing the annoying blazer that she had to put on for work. She hated that they had a dress code, she also hated layers… but it somehow worked for her lanky dog. Penny held his hands and dragged him into one of the rooms, just in case someone was to walk in them.

Sheldon looked around as Penny switched on the lights. "You remember this place, Sheldon? It's where I first met you," she chuckled to herself as she walked towards him, recalling the encounter. "Actually, we first met when you sexually assaulted me in my office." He pointed out as he removed his suit jacket, he might as well get it over with. Penny let out an irritated sigh as she locked the door, "You're really being annoying Sheldon."

"You were wrong, and I had to correct it. How am I annoying?"

"You're ruining the mood!"

"And what mood is that?"

"This," she gestured to the both of them, "everything!"

"I don't really understand what you're saying. What mood?"

Penny ran a hand through her hair; once again, he had gotten on her nerves. "Sheldon just for once can you please not be annoying?"

"Once again, how am  _I_ annoying? If anyone is anyone is annoying it's  _you."_

"How am I annoying? Really?"

Sheldon held up a hand, silencing her as he took his suit jacket. "Where are you going?" She angrily asked, grabbing his arm. "I'm not going anywhere," he told her, pulling his hand out from the inside of his jacket. "I hate fighting, whether it's with you or simply hearing someone in the middle of one."

"What's your point?"

"Here," he held up a tiny pink glass heart necklace. "I brought you a souvenir from Seattle, I'm not sure if you will like it, but as Leonard says; it's the thought that counts." While they were at the Microsoft headquarters, Bill Gates had brought and toured them around Seattle, bringing them to some sort of gift shop. Sheldon had thought of bringing Penny back a Windows 8 installer even if she wouldn't use it. Bill had then told him that if he was giving it to a girl, the tiny piece of jewelry would do.

"It's handmade and also hand blown, and one of the famous souvenirs there. It was a bit expensive, but I doubt that you'd know what to do with a Windows 8 installer."

Penny smiled warmly at the necklace; it was the most beautiful and thoughtful thing  _anyone_  had ever given her. Sheldon walked up to her and placed it around her neck, "I had a difficult time avoiding questions about who it was for, so I hope that you like it." He stepped back and offered her a small smile. She quickly pulled a tight embrace, "Thank you, Sheldon. I really loved it."

"That's great because if you did no-" Before he could finish, he was cut off by a passionate kiss, backing him against the wall. She undid her blouse and bra, throwing it across the room.

"I really missed you." She said against his lips, pulling his pants down. "Did you miss me?"

Penny dipped her hand into his briefs, stroking his member. Sheldon threw his head back, groaning, "Yes… I did." He hated the fact that he had already given in, but he just couldn't hold it in anymore. His mind had immediately shut down the second she started touching him. Penny returned to kissing down his neck, licking and nipping at the exposed flesh.

"Hey Sheldon…"

"What?" He asked through his teeth, he was really trying to hold back his moans. Penny grabbed his hand, placing it over her breast, "Did you ever thought about touching me… here?" Sheldon weakly nodded, "Good. Cause I did too," she removed his hand and directed it over her skirt, "how about here? Did you imagine touching me here?"

Sheldon opened his eyes, snapping back to reality. He grabbed her wrists and spun her around. "I see you've finally gone back to your old self," she smirked, taking his bottom lip in between her teeth, "Are you gonna lose control like you did the first time we met?" She moved forward to bite him, but he threw his head and neck back just in time so her teeth merely grazed his skin.

"Maybe. But I'm not holding back." Sheldon huskily said. Penny recognized this side of him. This was the Sheldon that she first met, and the Sheldon that came out when she had pushed him too far. Surprisingly, she hadn't even tried to get this side of him out.

"What do you mean not holding back?" She asked breathlessly as Sheldon sucked on her erect nipples, oh how she missed his touch. "You aren't dumb, Penny. You know what that means." And with that he pinned her further against the wall as he pulled up the bottom of her dress and gruffly pulled her panties down and jabbed his fingers into her. Sheldon smirked as he realized that she was already wet.

"Oh god!" She moaned as he quickened his pace. Penny was thrashing against his tight hold, she had never realized how strong he was. He was such a quiet, condescending, arrogant, nerdy creature most of the time.

His finger curled to touch her clit, rubbing at it without mercy and making her writhe so wildly that she hit the back of her head against the wall. "I had thoughts about you Penny… and I just couldn't shake them off like I always did." He brought his lips back up to her neck, licking up and down it.

"So Penny, was this what you thought about while I was gone?"

"It was the only thing I thought about," and with that he drove his erect cock deep into her so forcefully that she hit the wall. He felt her hands fighting against his to get free and so he raised his other hand using both of them to restrain her wrists as he forced her thighs open even more with his leg.

"Tell me Penny, is this want you want? I'll give you what you want, you are my  _master,_ " He leaned his face close to hers so she could feel the warmth of his breath. "Yes! Fuck yes, harder Sheldon! Harder!" He started pounding in her and slid her hands higher above her head, stretching her as much as her petite frame could. Then he pulled back almost coming out of her and then slammed himself into her.

"SHELDON!"

She felt her legs lifting from the floor as she was suspended against the wall by only his thrusts and his hands. "Fuck, I'm close!" She moaned and howled as he continued to thrust into her. With a load cry her head fell back and he knew she had climaxed. He slowly lowered her hands as he gently rocked himself in and out of her. Together they slid down the wall and sat in a heap their bodies as pulled out of her.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked, panting. Penny took deep breaths, shaking her head. "No."

"What?"

"You didn't come, Sheldon."

"This is for  _your_  pleasure not m-" Penny planted her hands on his face, "But I want you to." She pulled him in for a fiery kiss, their tongues dancing against each other. Without breaking the kiss, Penny pushed him down on the ground, the cold floor roughly hitting the back of his head. "Ow!" Sheldon yelped against her lips, a hand rubbing head as Penny giggled. "Remember the note I gave you during that meeting?"

"The one with the bone?"

She nodded, running her hands up and down his chest. "You've been such a good dog that I want you to feel good." Bringing herself into position and she pulled him into her and began to ride up and down rubbing herself in a circular motion as she'd come down. His mouth was hanging open as he felt her bright green eyes staring at him. He leaned back and moaned as a look of fulfillment flashed upon her face. He felt almost too nervous to be sure whether he was enjoying it. Then she put her hands on his shoulders and rhythmically slid herself up and down him, leaving no doubt left in his mind. It felt nothing short of amazing and he moaned with ecstasy as he closed his eyes.

He started thrusting upwards as she ground down on him. She had one thing in mind, to get Sheldon to come. She started to grind harder, leaning down on him as she captured his lips in a passionate kiss. He then started to jerk wildly as she met each thrust. She felt a flood come between her legs as Sheldon pushed into her building up to his climax as she felt the aftershocks of hers. He thrust into her wildly a few more times until he released into her. It was something he had never done with her before.

Penny collapsed on top of him, as Sheldon tried to catch his breath. It was truly something that he had never done before. Penny brought her head up and kissed him tenderly, before rolling off of him. He laid there, a hand around her as he tried to process what had just happened. First, he had gone out of control. Second, he lost to her. Third, he lost to her. Fourth, he lost to her. Fifth, he lost to her. Sixth, he lo-

"Sheldon, if you're thinking about how the hell I got you to give in, I have an answer for that."

"What is it?"

"You like me."


	6. Merry Hanukkah-Mas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Christmas spirit is in the air, even when it isn't Christmas in the real world, yet.

_Alex_

Sheldon stared at the paper, frowning. It was Penbark's annual "Secret Santa" exchange gift program where employees and heads from different departments draw lots and would give someone a gift. He volunteered to not participate in the program, but Wyatt had insisted that he join. He neatly folded the paper, placing it in his pocket as he watched the rest of the department heads and secretaries pulled a tiny paper from the fish bowl.

Leonard stood beside him, smiling goofily. "Who'd you get?"

He glanced at him, "I believe that we are not supposed to say who we picked, am I right?"

Leonard chuckled, "Yes that's right, but we're friends! And maybe I could help you pick out a gift? I'll tell you who I picked!" Sheldon sighed, looking around to check if anyone was listening on them. "All right, why don't you first tell me who you picked?" Leonard's smile widened as he shoved his hands in his pockets, tilting his head from side to side. "I got the cute new girl from the advertising department!" Sheldon nodded, he knew that Leonard's iconic grin meant that it had something to do with a female, it wasn't surprising. "So," Leonard nudged him, "who'd you get?"

"I got Alex."

Leonard's smile grew wider, "Really? That's awesome! Do you need help on picking a gift?" The taller man shook his head, "No, I already have someone in mind that may be able to help me with this." Raj skipped over to them, shortly followed by Howard. Raj stood beside him, leaning against the divider, "So who did you guys get?" Howard pulled out a piece of paper, handing it to Leonard who quickly read it. "Ooh, scatter brain Jane! What are you planning on getting her?" he asked, returning the paper to Howard, "I don't know, a brain?" Raj scowled at him, "Hey, that's really mean of you Howard! We all know that scatter brain Jane fell from her terrace!" Howard held up his hands in defense, "Hey! It was a joke, Raj, sheesh." Sheldon turned to Raj, "So who's the lucky fellow who will be receiving a saturnalia gift from the Indian santa?"

Raj's eyes grew wide, nervously backing away. "What what are you talking about Sheldon? What Indian santa? There's no Indian santa!" Leonard and Howard stared at him suspiciously while Sheldon diverted his attention to the people currently taking a name. Once you got a name, you would tell Wyatt who you picked and he'd write it down. It was currently the clothing departments turn to draw names. "Raj, why are you actins suspicious? You're the one who started this secret santa thing! Who'd you pick?" Howard snarled. Raj crossed his arms, "It's none of your business who I got!"

Sheldon glared at the two friends arguing behind him before returning his attention to the fish bowl. It was now Penny's secretary who was pulling a name from the bowl. The woman took quite some time in choosing a piece of paper to pick and only chose a paper when Penny had scolded her, "Would you hurry it up Jane?! You're not the only one who's going to get a name!" The blonde growled, earning a frightened stare from the young lady, "I-I'm sorry, miss Penny! I won't do it again!" Wyatt's eyes widened as Jane scrambled towards the door, stumbling every now and then, "Jane! You still haven't told me who you got!" He shook his head, turning to his daughter, "Well, go on and pick." Penny rolled her eyes, her dear secretary was known to be a scatter brain, and she hated it. She walked over to the bowl, grabbing the last piece of paper.

Leonard tapped Sheldon's shoulder as he saw Alex return. "Hey, Sheldon, do you want me to ask Alex what she'd like?" He looked at Alex, before returning his gaze to Leonard. "Do as you please." Leonard strolled towards Alex, starting up a conversation with her. Howard tore his gaze away from the debating Indian man, noticing Sheldon's silence. "Is something bothering you, Sheldon?" He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. "I'm alright, just a bit… distracted."

Penny had punished him the other night for 'flirting' with an executive from another company, and made him watch Jersey Shore and whatever a 'Honey Boo Boo' was. He couldn't think straight without recalling an episode of either shows, curse his eidetic memory. To make things worse, he wanted to give Alex the perfect gift, but he had no idea what women liked. She had been a great secretary, and he couldn't think of anything good enough to show his appreciation. He shook his thoughts away, turning his attention to the two men staring up at him. "So, is there any problem at all? Maybe we could help you?" Raj offered. He shook his head, "No that is not necessary, thank you though." He gazed back at Penny, who was staring at him.

It was  _Friday._

* * *

Sheldon walked into Penny's room in his plaid pajamas and a book in hand. Penny lifted her gaze from her magazine, "Why do you seem so… out of this world?" He shook his head, sitting down on the side of the bed, "I've been in deep thought all night. There is something troubling me." She placed the magazine down before proceeding to sit upright, "What is it, sweetie?" He turned to her, a troubled look on his face. "I got Alex, my secretary, for the exchange gift, and I don't know what to get her," he licked his lips, "you're a female, what would you want?" She blinked, carefully thinking about what exactly she'd want to get. Well, there was  _something_  she did want, but he might have a heart attack if she told him. What would a girl want?

"A ring…?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Penny slowly nodded, imagining Sheldon giving Alex a ring and all of her violent reactions when that happens. Sheldon crossed his arms as he thought about what she suggested… a ring. He did once hear his mother moaning about how diamonds were a girl's best friend and how his father never gave her diamonds. "But not all girls want rings! I mean maybe she wants a dress from some famous designer!" She blurted out. Penny saw the look on his face; it meant that he was thinking about giving that girl a ring! He held a hand up, silencing her as he leaned against the headboard. "Would you be delighted if I were to give you a ring?" Penny opened her mouth to speak but her mouth had seemingly run dry. "Well?" he asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "Um well, yeah I'd love to get a ring…" He nodded, smiling. "Well then, I know what to get. What about you? Who did you get?"

Penny frowned, she had wanted to get Sheldon but she got that pervert engineer who worked on the Picobus together with Sheldon. But she knew who had picked him, she saw the paper where her father wrote the names down, it was that mute Indian boy from the research department. She already asked for a breakfast meeting with him the next morning to get him to switch with her. Penny had the perfect gift in mind for Sheldon, something he would love so much that he would give  _her_  a 'ring.' "Um, I got some girl from the produce department. I'll probably get her a gift certificate or something." Penny brought up her magazine, wondering whether or not she would ask him the question that had been her mind since they came home. "Hey, Sheldon."

"Yes?" he stopped reading, turning his head towards her. "Um, I was just wondering… are you gonna give me a present?"

"You want a present?"

"Well, it  _is_ Christmas and I got you a gift…"

"You got bought me a present?!" he shrieked, causing Penny to jump. "Why would you do that?" She stared at him, "cause it's Christmas." Sheldon closed his book, "Oh, Penny. I know you think you're being generous, but the foundation of gift-giving is reciprocity. You haven't given me a gift, you've given me an obligation. The only reason why I joined this little secret santa is because I am positive that I will receive a gift."

"Now, honey, it's okay. You don't have to get me anything in return."

He stared at her in bewilderment, "Of course I do! The essence of the custom is that I now have to go out and purchase for you a gift of commensurate value and representing the same perceived level of friendship as that represented by the gift you've given me. It's no wonder suicide rates skyrocket this time of year!"

Penny scowled, roughly bringing her magazine up to her face and turning away from him, "Okay, you know what? Forget it. I'm not giving you a present!" He grabbed her magazine, pulling towards him, "No, it's too late. You already told me and now I will remember it forever. The die has been cast, the moving finger has writ, Hannibal has crossed the Alps."

She turned to him, "what?"He leaned over, kissing her forehead, "Nothing. Good night Penny." He moved back to his side, switching the lamp off and getting under the covers. Penny blinked,  _What just happened?_

* * *

Raj tapped his foot on the granite, taking a sip of coffee, which he spiked with some beer, while waiting for Penny. His secretary had told him that the ice princess arranged a meeting with him at the hotel, but she didn't say why. He had wondered what exactly her problem was, they never talked, ever. The clothing and research department never crossed paths before; they had their own research team for eco-friendly materials or whatever those were called.

"Mr. Koothrapalli, I am glad that you are on time." His head shot up at the sound of her voice. Penny stood in front of him, her hands on her hips and her famous 'ice look' plastered on her beautiful face. If she wasn't so evil, he would have asked her out… silently. Raj stood up, pulling the seat out for her. He was raised as a gentleman… or it could have come from the alcohol, but that didn't matter. She curtly nodded as she took a seat, signaling a waiter to fetch her order.

"So Miss Penelope, what's with the sudden meeting? Is there a problem with your research team that my team may be of help with?"

The blonde leaned into the lounge chair, casually looking at her bright red nails. "Cut the crap, Koothrapalli. I want you to switch names with me."Raj stared at her in confusion, "Names? But why would you want to be Rajesh Koothrapalli? I don't think that the name Penelope would be sui-"

"In the secret santa exchange bullshit!" she retorted, sending him a glare. "Oh! I'm sorry, you should cut straight to the point next time," Raj took another sip of his coffee, a wave of relief washing over him. He didn't look like a Penelope, he would be more off a Shirley or a Jackie. "I got Howard, and I want to exchange him with the one you got." The waiter came back handing Penny a cup of Starbucks. Raj placed his coffee down on the table, staring intently at her. "How do you know who I got? And why do you want to get him?" Penny removed the lid adding a packet of sugar to her cup and mixing it slowly. "That is none of your business. Now exchange Sheldon with me." Raj folded his arms across his chest, "No, not until you tell me why you want to exchange names. Besides it's not even Sheldon!" Penny returned the lid, bringing the cup to her lips, "That's an easy question. Cause I want to." She smirked at him, raising the cup towards him. "It's still a no," he scowled at her, "I'm not giving Sheldon to you!"

She pointed a finger at him, "Aha! I knew that it was Sheldon, now change names with me." He swiftly shook his head, "No. I know what you're up to- you're trying to get him fired! And I won't let you! Sheldon is one of my best buddies and the coolest boss I ever had," he stopped to think, "well, after your dad- but still! I won't let you do to Sheldon what you did to the others!" Penny narrowed her eyes, "What do you mean,  _did to the others?_  I did nothing! They were the ones who did something wrong- not ME, I could get you fired for that!" She took a deep breath, "but that's not it. I wanted to get him because I already got the gift for him- as a thank you for helping me with some distribution problems with a few department stores*." She gripped her cup, it was a lie but she had to get Sheldon.

"So, you're not planning on getting him fired?" He asked curiously, causing Penny to scoff, "Why would I? He's like the best vice president we ever had! And my dad loves him," she rolled her eyes, "well everybody does."

"Well, if that's the case, then okay," Raj smiled up at her, "I'll trade with you. Here's the paper." He brought out a tiny piece of paper and handed it to her, "huh. I didn't think that you'd even bring this with you." She grabbed the paper, handing him the one with Howard's name. "Oh, I bring it all the time, just in case I forget who I'm buying the gift for is."

"Why would you forget who you got?"

"I can't talk to women without drinking alcohol. Most sales people I see in the department stores are women or take me to women."

"Oh."

* * *

Leonard swung his light saber around the room, happily thanking the executive who got him. He walked over to Sheldon who was staring at the paper bag he was holding.

"Hey buddy, do you wanna try this?" he asked, a huge smile on his face. "No, thank you. I am just contemplating whether or not I should push through with this." Sheldon watched as another employee gave Raj a bottle of champagne, which he accepted whole heartedly. Leonard grabbed the paper bag, placing it on top of the table. "I saw the sales lady's face when you bought that ring. I think Alex will love it! But what's with the expensive bag?" he pointed to another paper bag, beside Sheldon. Sheldon had asked Leonard to drive him all the way to the South Coast Plaza* in Costa Mesa. He told Leonard that he wanted to buy a ring, and a designer dress for the secret santa. Leonard was stunned at the amount Sheldon paid for both the ring and the bag, but Sheldon assured him that it was worth it. Raj grabbed a paper bag, proudly handing it to Howard. "Merry Hanukkahmas buddy!" Howard looked up at him, "Hanukkahmas, really?" Raj grinned at him, "Well I didn't want to sound anti-semitic! Now go on, open your gift!" Howard hurriedly opened the paper bag.

"A bunch of… dickies?" Raj gleefully clapped his hands, "Don't you love it buddy?" Howard blinked, thinking about all the possible gifts he could have gotten if Raj wasn't the one who picked him. "Uh, yeah I love it," he turned to his best friend, smiling, "it's amazing! Thank you Raj." Howard stood giving Raj a hug, earning looks from the other employees. Howard gave the confused secretary a bundle of gift certificates to some shoe stores, who happily hugged him. "Merry Christmas scatter bra- Jane! Jane!" Howard uncomfortably chuckled as Jane released him, grabbing her gift then trotting over to Penny. "Merry Christmas, miss Penelope!" Penny eyed the tiny bag, glowering at it. "What is that, Jane?" Jane took out a small rectangular box… a FRIENDS DVD. "Um… yes thank you."

Penny stashed the DVD in her tote bag, it wasn't a horrible gift, she could watch it whenever Sheldon wasn't around. She looked up to see Sheldon walking over to Alex to give his gift. She hated Alex with a passion; she knew that the little brunette had a crush on her gullible boss. Sheldon was too dumb to see if anyone had a crush on him, if he did, maybe she wouldn't have to try too hard.

"Mr. Cooper you're my secret santa?" the brunette asked, staring at the big paper bag. Sheldon meekly nodded, handing her the paper bag. "I hope this delights you, the sales lady had gushed about how much any woman would love to have that." Penny closed her eyes, taking deep breaths, it  _couldn't_ have been a ring- it was too BIG! Alex's mouth hung open when she opened the box, making the rest of the employees lean in to see what Sheldon hot got her. "I-is this an o-original P-prada bag?!" Alex stuttered as she stared at the grey top handle Prada bag, still questioning whether or not she was dreaming or not, "this costs thousands of dollars!" Sheldon crossed his arms, "It was a bit pricey, but you are a wonderful assistant, and you deserve to be rewarded."

Raj leaned into Leonard, "if those were the gifts I'd get from Sheldon, I'd volunteer to be his assistant!" Howard elbowed him, "You can buy a hundred of those and would still be rich!" Raj nodded in agreement, "Oh that's true." Leonard pointed to a paper bag beside them, "if you think that's expensive, you should have seen the ring he bought- it was EXTREMELY expensive!" Alex jumped up from her seat to hug Sheldon- who was trying to run away, much to the annoyance of Penny. "No way! But if he isn't giving it to Alex, who is he giving it to?" Leonard shrugged, "I don't know, maybe Sheldon has a secret girlfriend we don't know about." Sheldon returned to his seat, applying sanitizer on the skin Alex touched. "What is with women and expensive items? I swore that I saw the saleslady attempt to touch me when I was paying for that." He locked eyes with Penny, who was offering a weak smile at him.

Raj looked around, frowning. "Hey, why didn't Sheldon get a gift? I added EVERYONE'Sname in that bowl-  _someone_  must have got it!" Sheldon grabbed Raj's arm, pulling him back down to his own chair. "I don't mind, I do not celebrate saturnalia. I find it irrelevant to our daily lives." Raj sighed, "Alright then buddy. Well everyone- it's time to go home! I hope all of you had fun with our little secret santa!"

* * *

"Hey Sheldon, do you have a minute?"

Sheldon looked up at Penny, placing his papers down on the 'to submit' pile. "Yes, I was just tidying so that we could get home. What is it?" Penny walked towards his desk, looking around. "I, uh, have my gift for you here." She held up a tiny paper bag, smiling shyly at him. Sheldon blinked, "Oh yes!" he reached underneath his desk, grabbing the second paper bag. "I have bought something for you, and I am sure that you will like it. The sales lady told me that a female would like it, well, they also told me that champagne would be nice." Penny placed the bad on his desk, "we should open it at the same time." He pushed the bag towards her before taking her paper bag. He opened the bag, pulling out the first picture frame. It was the picture she took with the Picobus in the conference room, months ago. Sheldon's forehead was cut off, but it captured their smiles perfectly.

"I had to find that exact phone just to get the printed, you should feel special." She chuckled, gripping the paper bag in her hands. "You told me that we were to open the gifts at the same time, why aren't you opening yours yet?" he questioned, gesturing to the bag. "There's another gift in there, I had to call a couple of friends to get it, but I got it. Lets both take it out at the same time!" She slowly opened the paper bag, her heart racing. She had heard what Leonard said earlier, Sheldon bought a  _ring,_ and this could be it!

Her heart skipped a beat once she saw the beautiful Cartier ring, a white gold ring with a dully diamond paved flower.

"T-to S-sheldon, l-live long… and prosper!" Sheldon looked at her with wide eyes, mirroring her expression.

"You got me Leonard Nimoy's signature?!"

"You got me a ring?!"

"A ring is hardly not enough to repay this!"

"Merry Christmas?"

"That is not enough!" He marched towards her, pulling her into a tight embrace, "Thank you, Penny. Merry Saturnalia."

"Sheldon…?"

"Yes?"

"Look up." Sheldon looked up, with her free arm, Penny held up some sort of plant- a mistletoe.

"Do you know what that means, Sheldon?"

"Will it be able to add to the value of my gift?"

"It can." He released her before softly kissing her on the lips. "Will that do?"

"It will do."


	7. I'm Prepared For It

Penny felt bad.

It was a Wednesday, and she wouldn't be able to take Sheldon out to lunch. She had a meeting with the heads of Walmart, and Target about her new clothing line. They already had a deal, but each company wanted something authentic for their store, something the other one didn't have. So it was up to her to talk about which wanted which sets of clothing line.

She had thought about eating out after the meeting, but that would put the company cooks to a waste. Penny had asked Maria to cook her a lunch worthy of a meeting, a nice, well done steak. She had an hour and a half till the meeting, and decided to drop by the kitchen to get it. She really wanted to have lunch with Sheldon today but this just proved that she  _was_  working, despite what practically everyone thought. She already texted him that instead of lunch they would just have dinner that night.

Penny smiled as she walked out of the elevator, strutting down the hallway towards the cafeteria. She nodded at each employee she passed by, she was friendly and she loved the attention. It was rare for Penny to ever visit the cafeteria, or the third floor in general. Henry, their butler, would always bring her lunch in her office. There was never a need for her to go there… until now. Her beloved brother Mark had asked for the assistance of Henry at the Penbark automobiles offices. If it wasn't her wonderful, note the sarcasm, sister Barbara, it was her ever delightful brother Mark. She hated both of them.

Her smile dropped as she entered the cafeteria, her eyes widening slightly before narrowing into an icy cold glare. She directed her sharp daggers towards a far off table to the right of the room, trying to mentally crush one of the two people sitting there.

"Mr. Gates called in earlier this morning. I told him that you were in a meeting."

Sheldon placed his sandwich down, turning to his new assistant. "Alex, you know that I simply hate lying." Alex nodded at his knowing gaze, "I'll call Mr. Gates again later, or would you like to call him personally?"

He took another bite of his sandwich before returning to his laptop. Though it was his break, something urgent came up with the Picobus. There was a bit of a malfunction at its first test run, and he had to look up some of the reports Leonard had made about the programming. The Picobus was just like a computer, which meant that it was prone to anything computer related. That was one thing he hated about Windows, viruses.

It was actually a good thing that Penny had cancelled their little lunch rendezvous. If Penny had pushed through with it, he wouldn't be able to re-check the phone's programming. His secretary, Alex had volunteered to help him find some records about the phone; she was actually a smart girl. Once he finished his lunch, he would head back to the electronic department to sort out the programming. It wasn't as problematic as with what happened over at the Microsoft headquarters, but the release date was so close that they had to make sure  _everything_  was perfect and in shape.

The brunette handed him his drink as he finished his lunch, he had no time to waste. Sheldon closed his laptop before cleaning the table up; he never left his garbage on the table. "Alex, it's time for us to head to the electronics department," he turned to her, "we must meet the deadline. We can't let things crash now." Alex grabbed her folders, following after him, "Ah Mr. Cooper, always the perfectionist."

Sheldon stopped walking once he saw Penny standing at the doorway, looking like an animal getting ready for the kill. He licked his lips before walking up to her, gesturing Alex to follow.

Penny looked up at him, her glare intensifying as she switched her gaze at Alex.

"Hello, Penny." He greeted stepping aside to allow Alex to greet her, "Hello, Miss Penny." The blonde nodded, not moving from the door. Sheldon took a step forward, only to be blocked by Penny.

"Penny, please move away from the door. I have something urgent to do." She cocked her head to the side, pretending to check her nails. Sheldon huffed, grabbing her arms and pulling her to the side. "I am very busy; this is no time for games."

Penny returned her glare to him, "I wasn't playing any games."

"Hokum," he turned to Alex who stood frozen behind him. "Alex, let's go. I am sure that everyone is waiting for us." Alex blinked before scurrying out of the cafeteria. Penny's glare had not gone unnoticed; no it was far from that. Even as they entered the elevator, she could still feel Penny's murderous glare stabbing her in the back as they walked away.

Penny crossed her arms as the elevator doors closed.

Two could play at that game.

* * *

Sheldon breathed a deep sigh as he left the testing room. Once again, he had found a way to fix the phone,  _permanently._  They had spent all day testing various ways to further improve and prevent any bugs from happening to the phone. Though there were still bugs with the operating system, it was no longer their problem, but  _Microsoft's._  Future software updates would be released by them, and not by the Picobus team. He was thankful that Alex had volunteered to help him look for past evaluation records about the phone, if she had not helped out the testing process would have taken more time.

He slowly made his way up to his office, patiently waiting for Penny's message about dinner. It was already 10 PM, and she still had not informed him about any meal plans. To be honest, he was hungry and he did not want to risk watching Jersey Shore. They had snacks throughout the testing process, but it was not enough to fill his grumbling stomach.

Once inside, he grabbed his paperwork, shoving it in his bag. He had finally decided to go home, it was late, he was hungry, and everyone had already gone home. The chances of him eating out were slim; he would just stop by some unsanitary fast food restaurant. He turned the lights off before locking the door, and then made his way to the lobby.

"Going home, Mr. Cooper?" Sheldon turned to the guard, nodding his head in acknowledgement. He strolled over towards the counter where the man sat, placing his bag on the desk. "Yes, it is already very late. I have also not eaten." The man nodded, taking a sip of his coffee before reaching it out to him. "You want some? I have donuts." Sheldon politely shook his head, "No thank you. I assume that you are also as famished as I am."

The guard smiled at him, bringing out a box of donuts. "Nah, I'm not as hungry as I look."

"No, I'm good," he grabbed his bag, stepping back from the counter. "I'll be off now, good evening to you, Tom." The guard smiled at him as he watched him leave the lobby.

As Sheldon stepped out of the building, his phone buzzed. It was from Penny.

"Well isn't this late," Sheldon muttered as he opened the message.

_Meet me at room 1720 the 17_ _th_ _floor of hotel – Penny._

Sheldon's eyes widened and his mouth fell open at the sight in front of him.

People… engaging in coitus…  _everywhere!_

He tried to cover his eyes as he made his way past them, scurrying towards the room at the end of the hall. He did the math as he ran across the  _long_  hallway; there were more than ten trillion,  _definitely more,_  germs currently crawling towards him. There weren't enough disinfectants in the world to remove all of them in one wipe-no he would have to take  _countless_  burning hot showers, with a bit of rubbing his skin raw, to remove all of those germs!

Sure he engaged in coitus more than several times with Penny and  _her,_  but that was it. The thought of engaging in coitus while another handful- no five handful- of people were doing it as well was horrifying. It was definitely something he would never,  _evereverevereverevereverever everever,_  consider doing.

Sheldon jumped as one of the "couples" backed up into him causing him to bump into another one of the "couples" shamelessly engaging in coitus. He quickly removed his suit jacket and rushed towards the door, swiftly pushing it open. His eyes grew even wider as he saw the inside of the room, more people coitus-ing. His eyes scanned the room in search of Penny, closing each time he gazed across a couple in the act. "Oh hey there, Sheldon," He heard her say breathlessly. His eyes grew impossibly wide as he saw her.

Penny sat on top of some muscular man, slowly grinding down on him. She was half naked whilst the troglodyte, he was sure that the man was one, was completely undressed, groaning each time Penny rocked into him. Sheldon turned around to face the door, tightly shutting his eyes. "Penny, what in the heavens is this? This does not look like dinner to me!"

"If you want an answer, I want you to come over here." She said in a seductive tone, causing Sheldon to wince. He had wanted nothing else but to leave the place and spend the night disinfecting his entire body. He clenched his jaw tightly as he balled his fists to the side; he really wanted to get this over with. Sheldon slowly turned around and started walking towards her, flinching as he saw the scene in front of him up close. A devilish smirk formed on Penny's lips as Sheldon stood in front of her, avoiding her gaze.

"Why did you ask me to go here? And what is this?"

"This is what we call, an orgy. I do this  _all_ the time. It's fun isn't it, Sheldon?" She asked teasingly, she knew that Sheldon hated these kinds of things. He had once read an article about it, and immediately went to disinfect himself. Orgies were a billion times more unsanitary than coitus, even thinking about it made him want to scrub his skin raw.

She didn't like him talking to that Alex girl; she could tell that she was flirting with him, even if he didn't. Penny knew if someone was flirting just by glancing at the person; it was something she was relatively good at.

"It is most certainly not fun!" He shrieked, stepping away once he saw the man start to thrust into her. "Can I go home now? This is obviously NOT dinner, and I am certainly NOT needed here." Sheldon glanced at Penny and the man, repulsion building inside him. It was one thing to have coitus with someone, but it was an  _entirely_  different thing to have coitus in a room full of people who were also having coitus. "Actually, I have completely lost my appetite. Thank you, Penny."

"Of course I need you," Sheldon frowned at her, "I won't cum unless you're the one here, you know that." She stopped moving, causing the man to groan, "Come on." Sheldon furiously shook his head, glaring at her. He picked up her shorts from the floor, throwing it at her. "Get up, get dressed and follow me." Penny stared at him as she threw her shorts back at him "Excuse me, aren't  _you_  the dog?" He stared at her, his eyes cold as ice, "Get up. Get dressed, and lets. Go." Penny tilted her head from side to side before smiling at him, "Nope." She went back to sliding down the man, causing him to moan in pleasure. He shook his head at her before turning around and walking towards the door.

"Oh god, Sheldon yes! Yes! Faster!"

Penny looked back at the door, noticing that Sheldon was gone. "Penny, babe, why did you stop? Oh and stop calling me Sheldon." She glared at him, getting off him and pulling her shorts on. The muscular man sat up, confusion in his eyes, "Hey Penny, what are you doing? I'm not done yet!" She walked towards the middle of the room, grabbing her bag. "You finish what you have to do here, I'm going home." The pairs nodded in response while her former partner approached her. "What's this about? Is it cause of that skinny guy who just left? Penny, I'm  _way_  better than that geek."

She glared at him, "Kurt, don't make me hurt you."

"Aww come on babe, you've known me since we were teenagers. I'm amazing at sex, you know that. Forget about that shitty nerd and let's get back to bed," he placed a hand on her arm, "you used to love this." Penny jerked her arm away from him, "You're right,  _used to._  No go find some other girl, I'm not in the mood for this." Kurt huffed in annoyance as she walked towards the door. She looked over her shoulder, sending him a glare, "And don't call him a geek. He's way smarter, longer and  _way_  better than you at everything." She slammed the door behind her, taking her phone out as she walked through the long hallway full of her friends.

"Hello, this is the Manor hotel, how may I-"

"Fred, this is Penny. Did Sheldon leave already?"

"Oh Miss Penny! No, none of us have seen him pass by the counter, as I always greet him. But uh, let me check the elevator record *****." Penny tapped her foot on the carpeted floor as she waited for Fred's response. She glanced at the corridor full of her friends having sex, a wave of disgust washing over her. She had never realized how disgusting this really was until now, which surprised her. Not in the mood? How was she not in the mood for sex? She was a big ol' five! She  _always_  initiated it, now she was the one who was rejecting it. She had pulled this trick on most of her dogs, and all of them had pulled her away from whoever she was with. Then along came Sheldon fucking asshole Cooper.

"The computer says that the penthouse key was used about 5 minutes ago." Only Fred, Sheldon and she had a key to the penthouse, and since she was talking to Fred through the hotels main phone line, it was  _definitely_  Sheldon. "Alright, thank you Fred. You can clear the 17th floor in thirty minutes." She pressed the elevator button, "Is your little 'party' done?" She looked back at the hallway, "No. But just make them leave."

"This is new. I'm guessing that your little plan did not work on your dog, did it?"

"Fred shut it and make sure that the floor is cleared within thirty minutes. I wouldn't want my father to know about this."

"Yes, we wouldn't want your father to know that the rumor was actually a cover up of people having a sexual intercourse party on that floor. Ever since you started this, word got out and now everyone wants to stay on the floor." Each time Penny had organized one of her famous 'parties', she ordered Fred to ask all of the guests on the 17th floor to have a complimentary dinner at the hotel's famous 3 Michelin star restaurant, The Maralpe. Ever since guests started to notice the frequent complimentary dinners, everyone had started to request a room on that floor. Wyatt had asked Penny about the rumor, but she told him that they had to do it because of several maintenance problems on the floor.

The elevator doors suddenly flew open, causing her to jump, "Fred I'm in the elevator, I'll just call you later." She hung up her phone, jamming her key card in the slot. Penny wondered why Sheldon went to the suite; she didn't remember asking Fred to stock up the fridge and the pantry. She stepped out of the elevator, noticing that her front door was open. Penny walked in her home looking around to see where Sheldon was. The living room, the kitchen and the dining room were all empty which meant one thing,  _he's in the bedroom._  Penny charged towards the bedroom, swinging the door open.

Her eyebrow rose as she saw Sheldon sitting on the bed, her back towards her. There was a plastic bag beside him that looked like it was filled with clothes. She walked towards him, curious on what he was doing.

Sheldon froze once he realized someone standing to his left, her bright green eyes wide open. He quickly turned away from her, his face turning bright red as he removed his hand from his shaft. He had originally gone up to the suite to take all of his clothing and leave once and for all. He no longer wanted to continue his deal with her after what he had seen. If it was true that it was her habit of engaging in such astonishing activities, then he would rather lose his career than getting some sexually transmitted disease. The chances of him getting a disease by continuing their 'deal' was very high with the vast range of men she had been with. Or worse, he could  _already_  have a disease! He was in the middle of stuffing his clothes in the bag when he suddenly remembered the scene. Penny on top of some man… then the picture changed, and it became  _him_.

He saw her run her fingers through his soft hair, tugging it gently as she trailed kisses down his neck. The thought of that alone led him to stop what he was doing and take a seat on the side of the bed. His pants grew unbelievably tight as his mind mentally relived each of their encounters. His hand hovered over the front of his pants, debating whether or not he would proceed. The last time he had as they would call, jerk off, was when he was with  _her_ , and that was long, long ago. He always had self control, but somehow the mere thought of it gave him a throbbing erection. He had opted not to, but the image of Penny slowly riding him made him do the deed. His hand freed his aching arousal from his pants, moving up and down as his mind went blank. He couldn't understand why Penny had such an effect on him, even  _she_  couldn't get him like this with just a simple notion, and it just made him more and more frustrated.

Sheldon swallowed the lump in his throat, silently praying to Jesus that what he saw was just a figment of his imagination. "Stop staring at me like I'm a ghost. I'm real and I can see that you're jerking off," she crossed her arms, a sly smile forming on her lips. "You're thinking about me aren't you?" He backed up towards the opposite side of the bed, "No, I wasn't." Penny moved to the side he was on, staring at his erection. "Really? Then why do you have a boner?" the blonde looked around the room, "I don't remember having porn and I don't see any porn around. Then what exactly does that mean, Sheldon?" He licked his lips, grabbing a pillow to hide his erection with. "I'm excited about the Picobus team and attending the Comic Con with the group." Penny had notice his eye twitch, and she knew that he was lying.

"Uhuh, but you were masturbating. I don't think I've ever fingered myself because of some event." He pointed a finger at her, his eyebrow arched, "Oh, but that's you. Different people have different reactions, and that was mine so…" he slowly stood up, wincing in pain as he pulled his zipper up, his arousal going down slightly. "I'm going home now, I'm very hungry. We'll talk tomorrow…bye!" Penny placed a hand on the front of his erection, roughly pushing him back on the bed. "I know that you were thinking of me, Sheldon. You can't lie to me." She got on the bed, crawling to him, "Why don't I help you with that?"

He backed up nearly falling off the bed as she crawled on top of him. She pulled his zipper back down, firmly grabbing his arousal and stroking it. "Penny, please let go of me. Your hands and whole body have touched germ and possibly STD infected people; I have no desire or contracting any of it." He said in between groans. "Sheldon, I do not have any kind of STD. You know that."

He sternly shook his head, attempting to push her off, "You don't know that. Didn't you say that it was something you do all the time? There is a huge probability that you have it and have passed it on to me." Penny had a shocked look on her facing, moving backwards as he continued, "I can strongly assume that most of those people already have diseases, Penny! And if you do have it or not, I will not allow you to pass it on to me!" He shrieked, mentally controlling his arousal to go down.

Penny blinked at him, "Sheldon, I don't have  _any_  kind of disease. I've checked, and I'm sure!" She couldn't believe that he said that she had a sexually transmitted disease. She ALWAYS used protection, the pill, condoms, etc. she even had some in her bag, she had no intention of being a mother at 22. "I always have a condom with me, and I always use it." Sheldon looked at her, "We never used a condom, Penny. I've never recalled us using one." She sat up straight, her eyebrows furrowing as he stood up. "Sheldon, I don't have it, don't you believe me?" Her plan was simple, she would make Sheldon jealous then he would sweep her off her feet and keep him away from that damn secretary of his. It always worked on her dogs,  _always_.

But why was he so goddamn different from all of her other dogs?

Sheldon paced the room, beads of sweat trickling his forehead. It all finally sunk in; he was scared; this was a reason why he did not want to engage in coitus again, or at all. Penny was not one who liked to be 'safe.' She liked danger, and risks, and he hated that, he didn't need that. But what he couldn't believe was that he was still aroused after what he had seen. He wanted to believe that he was COMPLETELY revolted of what he saw, but instead it had made him fantasize about it. What if he was right and that he had already had the diseased? But, what if he didn't have it… would he still continue their 'deal'? He placed a hand on top of his head as he contemplated on what he was going to do. He had to choose.

Penny stepped towards him, "Sheldon, do you believe me?" He stood still, avoiding her stare. She angrily placed a hand on his arm, turning him toward her, "Sheldon, answer me! Do you think that I have, some sort of disease?!" He released a frustrated sigh, locking his gaze with hers. "Even if you don't, I am not willing to risk my health over my reputation. If it is true that you do this all the time, there will be a chance that you may or will contract a disease in the near future, and I do not plan on getting infected." He placed his bag over his shoulder, staring at the plastic bag filled with clothes. "Wait, are you saying that you want to stop this?"

"I can't answer that... but I can see that you are happy with those… kind of things, as you once told me, you don't like playing by the rules. I have no intention of risking my health just for a job, Penny." He took his keycard from his pocket, handing it to her, "I'd like to return this to you, I will no longer have a need for this." She stared at the key, trying to understand what was going on. "Please do not ask for me unless it is business related, you may also discard the clothes that are here."

"What if… what if I reveal your secret?" she quietly asked, hoping that he would take back what he had said. She didn't want to admit that she had grown attached to him, no she wouldn't. Penny the big ol' five does not,  _does not,_  do feelings, no she does not… But just the thought of him gone made her feel empty inside. But why would she be sad, he's just one of her dogs, and she could easily get a new one! She was happy before she met him, so that means that she would be happy without him… right?

"I'm prepared for it."

* * *

Sheldon sighed as he took a sip of his tea, as he watched his 'friends' discuss about the Picobus. He was currently in the cafeteria, on a  _Wednesday,_ having lunch with the guys, and Alex, while watching a report about the Picobus. The Picobus finally had its worldwide debut and they were now awaiting the critic's response. If the response was positive, they would push through with their plan of going to one of those karaoke bars Raj loved, and if it was negative, they'd cancel the reservation and plan about how they would explain to Wyatt why the world hated the phone.

Leonard stared intently at the TV mounted on the far side of the room, squinting to see the next program on. "Hey guys, it looks like X-tech TV is next," he turned to them, "are you ready for it?" Raj stiffly shook his head, taking a sip of his beer, "I don't think so. Just thinking about the possibility that the chief mad gives me the jeebie-jeebies." He shuddered, earning a look from Howard, "Raj, it's  _heebie jeebies,_  not jeebie-jeebies." The Indian man stared at him, "but that just sounds anti-Semitic, so I'm good wit-" Leonard placed a finger in front of his lips, quieting them. Alex pointed to the screen, while Sheldon nodded in agreement, "If you would be so kind and pipe down, maybe  _then_  we could actually discover if we will or won't be making arrangements on preparing a rather embarrassing explanation for the president." The two nodded in unison as Alex requested that the TV's volume be adjusted, each employee turning their attention to the TV, the Picobus was very important to all of them.

X-tech TV was the most trusted technology review show in the country, and if they gave the phone a bad review, it would be the end of their phone line. The man slowly brought out the phone, turning it in his hand.

"Look at this beauty," the camera zoomed on the phone as he showed the front and back side. "5 inches of scratch proof gorilla glass, fingerprint and water  _and_  shock resistant wow, and did I mention that it's water resistant?" He turned the phone around, "And at 10 megapixels, that's one hell of a camera! And it's  _really_  beautiful, if I may! But we all know that it's beautiful, yes? So it's time to check if it's as high tech as they really say." He pressed the button, turning the phone on. The Picobus logo appeared before showing the Windows 8 interface. "And look at that, windows 8! How stylish is that? The phone is also rumored to be able to handle PC based games like Grand Theft Auto, and the Sims," he pressed an icon on the screen before facing it towards the camera, "And look! It's the Sims 3! Look at how fast and smooth the games load, it's faster than the PC I have at home!" Howard and Raj high fived each other as the host continued to showcase some of the features of the phone. Sheldon quieted them as the 'X says' portion started. "Now for the X says. First of all, I think that the price for the phone is pretty appropriate; I mean did you not see it? I dunked it in a jar filled of water, and it STILL worked! Plus the colors are pretty amazing," he chuckled, showing the various colors the phone came in, "And with that, X Says extremely recommended!"

"YES!" Leonard yelled, jumping out from his seat, causing Alex to jump. "Did you hear that, Sheldon? It's EXTREMELY recommended! I have NEVER heard a phone that they rated a XR! This is amazing!" Alex turned to Sheldon, a vivid smile on her face, "Congratulations, Mister Cooper! The phone is quite a success." Sheldon nodded in response, "Yes, it seems that the phone is quite well received." Howard whipped his phone out, immediately calling his mother to talk about the good news, while Leonard turned to him, "Well received? It's EXTREMELY recommended, Sheldon! That's way better than 'well!" He said as he breathed in and out slowly, "I need my inhaler…" Raj passed him his inhaler as he faced Sheldon, "Dude! We get to go celebrate tonight!" he happily said as Sheldon lightly dabbed his tea bag into the mug, "Yes, I am shocked to say that I am looking forward to it. I would rather be in a crowded noisy room rather than explaining why a high budgeted project was a failure." Raj clapped his hands together, "We should sing We A-" he stopped when he noticed someone standing at the doorway staring keenly at them as their heads slowly turned towards the guest. Sheldon didn't bother to look at the visitor, he knew who that was, there was only one person who attracted attention when they were in the cafeteria, returning his attention to his tea, it was getting cold.

"Oh um, hey Penny." Howard carefully greeted.

Leonard looked up at her again before returning his to his inhaler while Raj simply waved timidly. None of them wanted to be in the same room as the Ice Princess. Penny walked towards him, ignoring each of their greetings. "Sheldon, I'd like to congratulate you on the success of the Picobus. I saw the report while I was talking to the head of marketing, it was very positive." She glared at Alex as she passed her on the way to Sheldon's side. He glanced up at her, curtly nodding before taking a sip, "Thank you, it is not only success for the Picobus team, but the whole company as well." She crossed her arms, slowly feeling the awkwardness that was washing over her. Alex noticed the sudden change in the atmosphere, "Miss Penny, Raj here was just talking about celebrating tonight," Leonard, Howard and Raj each shook their head at Alex, mouthing 'no.'

Alex approached Penny who was standing  _awfully_  close to Sheldon, "At a karaoke place that Raj knows, why don't you join us?" Sheldon's eyes widened, as he quickly shook his head at Alex, joining the others. It had nearly been a month since he had last talked to Penny; she had avoided him and ignored his calls and messages, up to the point that he gave up. He was ashamed to say that he actually,  _overreacted…_  and wanted to make amends with her. He didn't want to admit it, but he had grown attached to Penny, and not talking to her gave him a feeling of, emptiness. He couldn't understand why, he had lived a perfectly normal, happy life before meeting her, why couldn't he continue that life now that she was gone? He was even flabbergasted that he was still in the company, he swore that she would immediately reveal his little secret the moment he walked out the door.

Penny glanced at Sheldon who was staring intently at Alex, mentally scoffing. "Sure, I'll join you guys. Just text me where and what time, and I'll meet you there. I'd really like to know all of you, especially Sheldon over here." Alex nervously smiled at her as she watched her walk out; Howard glared at her, "Alex, what the hell was that about? You know the rumors about her!" Alex shrugged, "There are a lot of rumors about her, Howard." Raj took a swig of beer; the thought of allowing Penny 'get to know' Sheldon gave him Goosebumps. They had all grew fond of Sheldon, even with his condescending ways. And he  _was_  the best vice president they had ever had, one that actually cared about the company rather than a certain blonde devil seducing him. "The one about Penny and the vice presidents! Are you not aware that you are the secretary of the vice president; do you want me to introduce you to Sheldon? He's right here!" Alex gave him a knowing look, "Come on Howard, those are just rumors. Penny seems kind of nice." Howard pointed a finger at her, " _kind of_ nice, NOT nice! Honestly Alex, do you even care about your boss at all?" Raj glanced at Sheldon who was obviously not paying to the other's conversation as he pulled out a piece of paper from his suit pocket. His eyebrow arched upwards, slightly reading what was written on the tiny piece of paper.

_I miss you. – Master._


	8. I Got Lost

Sheldon cringed as Raj sung Frank Sinatra's  _My Way_.

Leonard had invited the whole Picobus team to go with them while Alex invited several employees from the different departments, and he hated that. He was currently sandwiched in between two employees who were heavily drunk, while the others cheered on as Raj attempted to hit the high note. Leonard stood at a corner flirting with a secretary from another department as Alex and Howard provided Raj's backing voices on his next song choice. Sheldon had planned on going home hours before, but his strength could not match the 23 employees that blocked the exit every time he stood up. Raj was a regular at the place, which made it easy for them to get one of those private rooms. He had to hand it to Raj, though, the place was very clean and organized, and he liked that. He closed his eyes as an employee with a soothing voice started singing; Raj's singing gave him a headache. Most of the employees had stopped talking and simply waved their hands above their heads, singing along. Based on what he heard, the song was about falling in love and how it was great, it was foolish but the woman's voice relaxed him compared to Raj's deafening voice. He wondered why they even allowed him to sing all night.

Suddenly, the woman and the others stopped singing. He opened his eyes, turning to the direction they were looking at as Alex walked towards the door, greeting the late comer. Penny removed her coat, placing it on the coat rack on the side of the door, slowly scanning the room until her eyes met his. He suddenly had some kind of weird feeling that he didn't recognize and couldn't shake off, it was nerve wracking, and he just wanted to go home. Alex pointed off to where some of the female company heads sat, directing Penny before trotting over to where he sat, "Hey boss, are you sure that it's okay that I invited the ice princess?" Sheldon scoffed, "Alex, she's already here, what's the point of even inquiring about it?" Alex grabbed a drink from a waiter that walked in the room, downing it, "You are such a party pooper boss, really. Why don't you," she grabbed his arm, trying to pull him up, "sing with me?" He fiercely shook his head, "There is no way that I am singing, Alex. Go on and get Koothrappali, to sing with you." Alex sighed in defeat, "Alright, but I'm dedicating the next song I sing to you," she smiled as Sheldon gestured for her to leave, "Do as you please Alex." Alex gave him a smile before running off to where Penny sat.

He felt Leonard crash on the couch beside him, a strong stench of alcohol lingering. Leonard turned to him, a goofy smile plastered on his face as he brought a bottle of beer to his lips. "You should try some of this; it will calm your nerves," Leonard passed him the bottle, "I can feel you tensing up, buddy, what's the matter?" Sheldon let out a frustrated sigh as he contemplated on whether or not to sip from the alcoholic beverage. Studies have shown that alcohol was proven to relax the mind, or something like that. He couldn't think straight with the chatting resuming. He slowly grabbed the bottle, bringing it up to his lips and taking a swig from it. "I bet it's about what Penny said earlier."

Sheldon felt the bitter liquid climb back up his throat at the sound of her name. He placed a hand over his mouth, covering it as he coughed violently, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room. "I'm okay," Sheldon said as he cleared his throat, "Leonard here just told me a high-larious joke! Didn't ya?" Leonard nodded, laughing along with Sheldon, which earned them a suspicious look from everyone, especially Penny who had her eyebrow arched high up on her forehead. Once everyone returned to what they were previously doing, Leonard snapped his head towards Sheldon, "What happened to you?"

"Uh, yes, I felt very uncomfortable…" He managed to stop his right eye from twitching by tightly gripping his knee. "I felt uncomfortable with how she said those things." Leonard nodded, taking another sip from his beer, "I can feel you. I mean, yeah, Penny's like a goddess, but she's scary. I heard from actual vice presidents about how she turned them into slaves, and I practically had nightmares!" Leonard grabbed a glass and poured some beer in it, "Here this will calm you down. She's like an assassin, waiting for the kill. You think your safe… then she grabs you from behind and goes for the kill." He unconsciously grabbed a bottle in front of him, quickly bringing it to his lips and drinking from it, ignoring the unpleasant bitter taste that it left in his mouth. He was playing close attention to Leonard, while Raj's voice filled the background. Based on what he saw on the screen, the hyper Indian man was now singing 'Irreplaceable' by Be-y-once, something about the left…  ** _"TO THE LEFT TO THE LEFT EVERYTHING YOU OWN'S IN THE BOX TO THE LEFT!"_**

Alex was still happily chatting with Penny, who was staring directly at him, while Howard danced with the head of the pharmaceutical department. "Robert, the vice president before Chris, was also a victim of the Ice Princess." Leonard relaxed into the couch, his eyes glued to the screen, "I was close to Rob,  _real_  close, then he told me that Penny started to notice him. He had this crush on Penny, so he gave into her. He always told me about how 'sexual' their encounters were," Leonard noticed the disgusted look on Sheldon's face, immediately shaking his head, "No, what I meant was, he always told me that their encounters were always sexual… he enjoyed it though. Then one day, she called him over for a date, but it was actually one of those orgies. He was mentally crushed that Penny was with another guy, and he tore away from her," he stared at his bottle of beer, "he had fallen in love with her… then he grew obsessed with her. He did everything to get her 'back' cause he felt like he needed her, that there was something missing while she was gone, so he kept on insisting that she take him back. She did take him back, but then she somehow got him… fired."

Sheldon blinked, his mouth had suddenly gone dry. He realized that that was exactly what he was going through… he felt that he needed her, and that it wasn't the same without her, but it was all just a trick! He didn't really feel any attachment to her… or did he? And did she? But that didn't matter, he had ended their deal, and he was ready for the consequences. That day when he walked out of her apartment, he had prepared himself if and when she revealed to her father that he was one of those 'sexual offenders.' And that was exactly why he couldn't understand why she STILL had not revealed his secret. It didn't make sense, not at all. Leonard turned his bottle upside down, sighing at the fact that it was empty, "When Rob quit… I don't know, he just spiraled down, and I haven't heard from him ever since. Then along came Chris, and it happened again… and I don't want you to be next."

He needed to talk to her; he wanted to know why she was doing this. Why she did this to  _only_ the vice presidents, and why she even chose him.

As he tore his attention away from Leonard, he had noticed that Penny had disappeared. He looked around the room, in search of her. Alex was now singing with Raj about a song with what he could understand was about hating that you loved someone. He huffed,  _what a stupid song._ He stood, grabbing the intoxicated Leonard's attention, "Hey Shelly, where you going?"

" _ **That's how much I love you."**_

" _ **That's how much I need you."**_

Sheldon glanced over his shoulder, furrowing his eyebrow, "I need to go to the bathroom. Uhm, that alcoholic drink you gave me sure did some damage."Leonard's mouth fell agape, before his sloppy grin re-appeared, grinning up at Sheldon, "Alright buddy, well I'll just be here!"

" _ **And I can't stand you, must everything you do make me wanna smile? Can I not like you for awhile? (No...)"**_

Sheldon made his way to the bathroom, he really needed to go. He knocked nine times on the door, "Sorry, I ate too many burritos!" Sheldon shook his head in disgust, walking over to Howard, "Howard, where is the nearest restroom?"

" _ **But you won't let me, you upset me girl, and then you kiss my lips. All of a sudden I forget (that I was upset) can't remember what you did."**_

Howard placed a hand beside his mouth as he leaned towards Sheldon, Alex and Raj's loud singing voice mixed with the unnecessary chatter was making it impossible for anyone to hear anything. Luckily, he could read people's lips, and knew exactly what Sheldon was asking, "The next restroom is just down the hallway, near the public karaoke booths. It's pretty near the bar."

" _ **But I hate it... You know exactly what to do so that I can't stay mad at you for too long that's wrong."**_

Sheldon pushed through the 4/5 employees who blocked his way from getting halfway through the room. Luckily, Alex, who was still singing, pushed them away, giving him a small smile before turning back to sing along with Raj.

He finally made it back to the other side of the room, but not without another handful of employees pushing him back into the room and blocking his way. Sheldon quickly told them that he  _really_ had to go, and they let him pass. He would probably give them proper punishment once they are sober enough to apologize to him. Once he was through the last wall of his annoying employees, he got out of the room, and in to the hallway that led to the majority of the bar.

" _ **But I hate it... You know exactly how to touch, so that I don't want to fuss and fight no more said. I despise that i adore you."**_

Penny angrily snatched her drink from the bartender; it was that goddamn song again. If she had hated one song this past month, it would be that song. She heard that song on the radio when she was going home from work sometime ago, and she cried. Yes, that's right, Penny, the ice princess, ( _like she didn't know what they called her_ ) cried, because of a song. And no, it wasn't just because of the song, but it was because she could relate to the song and its goddamn lyrics. If she were honest to herself, yes it was exactly how she was feeling about Sheldon, but since she wasn't, it was one of those irritating songs that you listen to after a horrible breakup. Well, that  _was_  kind of what she went through.

" _ **And I hate how much I love you boy (yeah.) I can't stand how much I need you (I need you) and I hate how much I love you boy (oooh whoa) but I just can't let you go and I hate that I love you so (oooh)"**_

She left the room once that floozy named Alex had told her that she was going to sing a song for her boss, since he was so uptight. That damn bitch really did rub the fact that she liked Sheldon in her face, and that was more a reason for her to get revenge. Sheldon was hers, and  _only_ hers… or not. She just couldn't understand how she was feeling, Penny does not do feelings, and love is a feeling. But, she couldn't take it anymore, being without Sheldon, that is. It was like she was giving in to  _everything_ she ever promised to do, this was a game for her, and yet that goddamn Sheldon just had to come in to her life.

" _ **You completely know the power that you have (the power that you have) the only one that makes me laugh (makes me laugh)"**_

Due to the emotional turmoil Sheldon gave her, she was alone at the bar, waiting for the manager to give her a key to one of those semi-private rooms, that weren't as sound proof as they say. She planned on getting drunk while singing karaoke and maybe getting it on with one of the guys that had tried to hit on her since she arrived at the bar. Sheldon thought that she was a whore, and a whore she shall be!

As she ordered for another glass, the manager had arrived to give the keycard to her semi-private booth. She shot back her drink, glancing at what room it said,  _4A._ She found it funny that was the exact same apartment number as Sheldon, maybe it was a sign? Or not, well Sheldon was just some lanky guy… he wasn't just  _some_ guy, but there were more fish in the sea, and she was willing to find someone other dog… But that would need another drink. With one last shot of tequila, it would do, she stood up, raising her hand in the air and walked towards the hallway leading to the rooms.

" _ **Said and it's not fair how you take advantage of the fact that I love you beyond a reason why and it just ain't right."**_

Sheldon was getting lost.

His vision was  _slightly_ blurred and the hallway intersected about 982391293129743 times, and that was not good. Every time he tried to walk straight down a path, he would end up at the main bar, and the strong stench of alcohol did not greet him well. He had really wished that he had at least asked someone to accompany him to the bathroom, that would assure him that he wouldn't get lost, knowing the alcohol tolerance of the people he was with. He found it somewhat funny and frustrating that it only took him two drinks of whatever Leonard gave him to get drunk, it may have even caused him to lose a couple IQ points. Maybe he even lost more IQ points from drinking than watching that horrendous Jersey Shore, maybe it wasn't that bad.

No it was the alcohol talking.

Sheldon pointed his finger at the 3 different hallways, doing eenie-meenie-miney-moe on where he would go next. At the end of the chant, he landed on the middle hallway, and decided to head there.

" _ **And I hate how much I love you girl I cant stand how much I need you (yeah) and I hate how much I love you girl but I just can't let you go but I hate that I love you so."**_

Penny grumbled as she made her way to the hallway, getting lost again. The manager wasn't good at giving instructions, she was sure of that. No, he was pretty horrible at giving them, turn right, turn left down the hallway was not clear for a dimly lit, labyrinth like establishment. She stopped at one of the hallways, noticing a sign board that told her which way was to the; common rooms, deluxe rooms and VIP rooms were. She had the deluxe room and that was the middle hallway. If a drunk man were to roam these hallway with these lights he would surely get lost, thankfully Penny was a pro at drinking and not even a crate of tequila could knock her down. She glanced at the VIP nameplate, thinking about how the others and a certain tree like person were doing, but it didn't matter. She was going to cry hard, sing loud and get some tonight, like she always did.

" _ **One of these days maybe your magic won't affect me and your kiss won't make me weak..".**_

It was wonderful that the deluxe rooms were  _right beside_ the bar, oh the sarcasm that was running through Penny's head. It would be easier for her to switch in between areas to go get drunk, sing and get a man. There were plenty of cute people out there in the bar and common area; they were all the kinds of men Penny had been with in the past, but what grabbed her attention was a geek-ish guy that sat beside tons of well built men. She had guessed that they were a college group and probably brought along the poor kid that did their homework. But she did see Sheldon in the poor boy; it was blatant that he didn't want to be here. The whole time she was at the bar, she watched him, how he gave them a glare whenever they would force him to sing or drink and how he sat as far as possible to everyone. Maybe if he was taller, paler and had blue eyes he would pass as Sheldon, oh and the glasses and curly hair would have to go to. She sighed as she turned the final corner towards 4A, she could do this. She stopped as she noticed someone staring intently at the name plate.

" _ **But no one in this world knows me the way you know me so you'll probably always have a spell on me..."**_

Penny stepped back, her eyes wide as she pinched herself on the arm, this just couldn't be happening.

Was it the alcohol? Maybe it was a dream? Maybe she was hallucinating? Maybe dreams could now hurt you?! No, that wasn't real, everyone knew that. That damn key, this was all its fault- it wasn't a sign it was a plague! She had no intention of seeing Sheldon here, she had plans- plans to get drunk and sleep with a random man and get Henry to fetch her home. It was a brilliant plan, and she had decided to push through with it! She had the guts to do it, to finally get over the dog bullshit and Sheldon and return to the Penny everyone feared. But no, he just had to show up, he just had to be at the same hallway, he just had to be here exactly when she was. With a gulp, she placed her hand on the person's arm turning him to face her.

"Sheldon, what are you doing out here?"

And with that, Sheldon suddenly and miraculously became sober.

* * *

"I got lost," he nervously said, his hand playing with the button on his sleeve, "I was also a bit drunk and I had thought that this was my apartment… it  _is_ 4A."

Penny crossed her arm, her right hand reaching out and pinching the bridge of her nose. The hangover came too early. She really needed to clear things out with Sheldon, they needed to talk, and it was now or never. "Sheldon, I really think that we need to talk," she said straight from her mind. Sheldon's eyebrows touched his forehead as he looked around the empty, dark, hallway, "Yes, I do think that we need to talk about some trivial matters…" He turned away from her as she contemplated on what to say, "This is the room, I got, do you want to talk here?" Sheldon glanced at his surroundings, before shrugging and walking inside the room. It was half the size of what Raj got, and instead of a bunch of couches, there was a long table and row of chairs.

"I asked for a karaoke room, not a conference room," Penny grumbled, dumping her bag on the table before taking a seat on one of the chairs. Sheldon walked towards the end of the table, taking a seat at the last chair before moving to the one beside it, "Why do you need a separate karaoke room when the team already had one?"

"Why did you choose the seat seven chairs away from me?" Penny asked, placing her feet on top of the table. Sheldon flinched at her feet touching the wooden table, "I doubt that this table is sanitary, Penny." Penny chuckled, placing her hands behind her head as she leaned back against the chair, "It's okay the table's like me," Sheldon gave her a look of confusion before she spoke again, "It's dirty, like me. Right, Sheldon? I mean that  _was_  what you said about a month ago." Sheldon's eyes widened as he turned his body to face her, "Penny, about that, I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean it that way, and I sort of overreacted. You know how I feel about cleanliness and orgies aren't, and yet you choose to associate in them. I don't like risking my health, Penny."

The blonde smirked at him, quietly clapping her hands, "Gee, Sheldon, that sure was an apology. I told you, I'm clean, safe, sanitary- whatever you want to call it. You think you know me, but you really don't, Sheldon. I'm not just that spoiled, pretty, rich party girl that doesn't know a letter after M, and that just sleeps around with anybody. I dare you to guess the number of men I've been with, Sheldon," Sheldon looked up at the ceiling, his finger drawing numbers as he calculated, "And that doesn't include you, Sheldon. I doubt that you'd even get a correct answer-"

"Are we going to include your teenage years?" Sheldon asked, a finger still raised.

"Uh sure go ahead," Penny said as Sheldon returned to counting before nodding and turning to her, "That's 193 men, excluding me, though there is an indefinite question on whether or not to add or subtract eight to nine men, 193 is the closest number." Penny blinked at him, "Sheldon do you think that I've slept with all of those men?" Sheldon directed his gaze elsewhere before returning it to Penny, "Yes." Penny gasped, "No I did not sleep with all of them Sheldon! Think again."

"So we multiply 193, minus 21 men before the loss of virginity, so 172 times 0.18 gives us 30.96 sexual partners. Let's round that up to 31. 31 men, minus me of course, though, the numbers nine and eight are still floating up there as I am not sure about how many vice presidents there were before me that you branded as your dog."

Penny's eyes narrowed, "You are an impossible man, Sheldon. You are arrogant, egotistical and think you're all that!" Sheldon crossed his arms, "Those were all synonyms, Penny." Penny growled in frustration, her palm roughly hitting the table, "You're an asshole Sheldon. You are one big asshole!"

"How exactly am I an asshole? I'm the one who apologized even though I was not at fault, Penny.  _You_  were the one who exposed me to such unsanitary things and yet I don't hear an apology from you. I would rather point it back at you, Penny," he leaned back against his chair, a scowl on his face. Penny hissed, a glare quickly appearing, "I'm at fault? You're the one that-" Sheldon cut her off, matching her glare, "That? Penny I do not recall doing that would upset you. I have done everything you said, you are the one who always breaks your own rules, Penny. Please do not blame your faults on me."

She grabbed her bag, pulling out a manila envelope folded in half. Penny stared at it, contemplating on how was she was going to do this. She hated how much she wanted to prove him wrong, she hated how only he could make her question herself. With one last glance at the envelope, she threw it on the table before sliding it towards him, "Read it." Sheldon gingerly took the envelope, slowly opening the flap and taking the papers out, "W-what is this?" She gestured to the envelopes, "While you were out avoiding me-" Sheldon raised an eyebrow as he flipped through the papers, "I recall that you were the one avoiding me." She shook her head, "That's not important. What I was saying was that, I took a number of tests, just to prove to you that I  _am_  safe. Go on read for yourself." She waited as he scanned through the papers, finally landing on a chart, "So what does it say, Sheldon?" Sheldon looked up at her, placing the papers neatly in the envelope, "Negative…" Penny nodded, slowly smiling, "But, your family also owns a hospital, and this is clearly from that hospital. Who knows if you had this tampered with…"

Penny bit her lip in frustration, grabbing the song book and immediately found a song. If she couldn't get revenge with words, she knew something that would definitely make Sheldon's toes curl. She was his weakness, and she knew that,  _she was sure._ She had enough of them fighting, she had enough of him acting so smart and so great just cause he could beat her at anything. All she wanted was for him to be her dog again, she really never did want him to leave. She was so ready to take him back, but then he just had to open his big fat kissable mouth, and provoke her. But there  _was_ something only she could do, and this was time for revenge. Revenge was a dish best served cold… or naked… or hard.

"Did you miss me at all?" She angrily asked, jabbing the numbers on the pad to choose a series songs she thought would be fit for what she had in mind. It was great that the karaoke bar had the option for songs to only play in the background instead of the karaoke ones without the voices. She would win, losing was unacceptable. She hit the enter button before sliding the pad down the table to where Sheldon was, "I can't say that I have not," he truthfully said, grabbing the pad and looking at the song titles, all of which were foreign to him, "I don't like change Penny, you know that."

She hopped on the table just as the sound of a saxophone started playing,  _The One You Love,_ she thought. If she was in charge, that song would have been the saxophone and  _only_ the saxophone, it was just so erotic and sensual- perfect for her plan. She stood at the end of the table, kicking her heels off as the saxophone part filled the room, "I'm glad that you missed me, Sheldon… I guess it's time to give you a reward," she said in a low husky voice as she walked over to the opposite of the end of the table, crouching down and giving him a seductive smirk. She swung her feet off the table, placing a leg at each of Sheldon's side, causing him to grab the pad and smash whatever button he could.

Penny chuckled as  _The One You Love_ stopped playing, and  _You Can Leave Your Hat On_ started playing. Penny slowly unbuttoned her shirt as she leaned towards Sheldon, her smirk unfading. Sheldon started to back up into his chair, a frightened look on his face, "Penny, what are you doing?" Penny placed a hand on his chin, pulling him closer, "I'm going to seduce you." She roughly pushed him back before yanking her shirt off, revealing the red bra that Sheldon was oh so familiar with. She laid back against the table, arching her body along with the music, her hands trailing from the top of her head down to her hips, fumbling with her shorts.

Sheldon leaned his head back, clenching his teeth at the sight of Penny slowly taking her skirt off. She lifted a leg as she slid half of the piece of denim off, the other leg short following the act. It was truly something that Penny had never done with him, ever. And he could already feel something heating up in him, his cheeks were burning and now his pants were getting tighter, and tighter, and tighter.

Penny ran her hands over her body, slowly sitting up to expose the lingerie that she had once asked Sheldon to pick up for her. She sat up, tucking her feet under her, before grabbing at his tie and pulling him closer. She pulled him close enough for his chest to bump against the edge of the table, moving her face to his and rubbing her nose against his cheek as she whispered, "Are you getting seduced yet, Sheldon?" He nervously shook his head, causing Penny to run her tongue on the side of his face, slowly dragging it over his lips to plant a kiss on it. She pushed him back to his chair, hitting the wall, before jumping down and hovering over his lap. Penny grabbed Sheldon's hands, placing it on her sides as she swayed her hips to the song.

Sheldon's mouth ran dry as Penny placed her hands behind her back, flipping her hair then ran her hands back down to her stomach. She brought her hands on Sheldon's shoulder, sliding them up and down as she continued her dance, turning around to rub her backside on his torso then slowly lowered it over his pants, grinding down then turning to face him. She slowly undid his tie, pulling it off him then holding it above her head as she sat on his lap, twirling the tie around them.

"Penny stop this," Sheldon begged, his eyes closed as Penny continued the act. "Why, Sheldon?" She placed the tie between her teeth, both her hands tugging each end downwards, "Are you giving in?" He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat as she slid her tongue across his neck while undoing his shirt, "N-no, it's just that they might be looking for us." The blonde licked up his chin, leveling her face with his, "I don't think they'd look for us, Sheldon." He looked away from her, her hands running through his hair, roughly tugging at it to get him to look at her, "The Vice president and the owner's daughter disappearing… what would they think of us?" Penny placed her hand on his chin, gently turning him to face her, his blue eyes meeting with her green eyes, "Then they'd be right, Sheldon," she wrapped her arms around his neck, having enough of this little charade and finally capturing his lips with hers.

Their lips began to move together, a satisfying groan vibrating through Sheldon's chest. He hungrily gripped Penny's waist as her hands clutched on his hair. It had been such a long time, even though it had been just a month, since they had an encounter like this, and it seemed all so foreign, like it was the first kiss that they had ever shared. Penny had missed this, the feeling of Sheldon with her, she couldn't think of anyone else other than him. It confused her why she had suddenly changed just because of the lunatic that is her co-worker, but she didn't care, she was happy. The past month was a month of despair and loneliness for her, not even work could tear her mind from thinking about him. It sounded crazy, but it was the truth, and she was finally ready to admit it.

Sheldon placed his hands underneath her and carried her over to the table, laying her down as she worked on his pants. He stood between her legs, kissing her like there was no tomorrow. He would never admit it but, he did miss her, he missed her more than he thought was possible. Leonard had once again tried to set him up on a date, but when he did show up to the date, all he saw was Penny with some other man, and it didn't make sense. For the first time in his life, he just didn't understand. He couldn't understand the hold that Penny had on him; even  _she_ didn't have this kind of… spell on him. He had missed everything about her and that transpired between them, her silly little rules and demands, her horribly cooked breakfast and the silent rides back to the hotel, especially the extravagant lunch she would feed him every now and then. The Sheldon months ago would find this foolish, but the Sheldon now found it as his new life, he couldn't be without it.

Her hands lingered down to his sides and to the waist of his briefs, pulling them down until his semi-hard dick was freed to her. Penny reached down to delicately grab onto his shaft and began giving him slow, long jerks that instantly brought Sheldon to pull her underwear off, it was already too much. His lips broke away from hers, trailing tender butterfly kisses down the side of her neck, collarbone, stomach, and hips. Sheldon's lips returned to their destination; her hips, suckling gently on the skin before moving down to her inner thighs. Penny graciously opened up for him, anticipating his touch. She shrilled as his tongue met with her womanhood. Her back bowed to an arched and her hips began to rock hungrily.

Sheldon pressed his hands to her hips, settling their movements as his mouth continued its tour. He sucked on the tiny flesh, rocking Penny's nerves on end. Her hips fought against his hold, her hands tightened around his neck, and her body shook for more. He quickly released one of her hips and brought his fingers to Penny's opening. One finger slid in making Penny gasp so loudly that it invaded Sheldon's hazy thoughts. "Sheldon," she moaned as he released her flesh to run his tongue along her slit. He slid another finger into her and clamped back down on her clit, "Hmm?" He hummed, pushing her closer to her edge, "Sheldon, I need to tell you something." He pulled back, an eyebrow raised as she propped on her elbows, "Well, I just wanted to tell you that, the only time I never used a condom… was with you," she said, her eyes locked with Sheldon's, "That's why I know that I'm safe, Sheldon. I don't want you to think that I have any kind of STDs, I wouldn't do that to you." Penny was still confused why she cared about what Sheldon would think about her, she never really cared before but, maybe she just changed.

She mentally cursed herself as a small smile appeared on his face, he just looked so goddamn cute that she just wanted to jump him right here and now- but she was getting to that. He tilted his head to the side, thinking of what to say, before leaning down and giving her a tender kiss… and she lost it. She roughly wrapped an arm over his neck, another hand reaching down to his shaft, finally entering her. Sheldon groaned as he entered her, breaking away from her as he started to rock his hips, "Sheldon, fuck, go faster," she growled, her fingers digging into the back of his neck. He sped up his pace as Penny started to meet each thrust, moaning in pleasure. "Sheldon, oh god-oh god," she moaned, feeling her climax building up inside of her. As if on cue, Sheldon drastically picked up his pace, giving her short jabs feeling his own orgasm nearing.

Penny was on the edge, it felt just like a dream. Together with all the other questions she had about Sheldon, she couldn't understand why he was better than any of her boyfriends and dogs combined. It was like ecstasy, or maybe a little bit of heaven. Sheldon was confused on why he was so pleasured in their little tryst, it was like he had lost all of his control over himself. He would never admit it to Penny but the feeling of him with her was enough to get him to the edge. This felt better than all of the best things he could think of, and it made him more and more confused. He was never a man with primitive urges, it just happened, then he learned to forget about it. Then the devil came along,  _a.k.a. Penny,_ and suddenly he was a red blooded male ready to jump on her whenever she was near. It just didn't make sense... but nothing about Penny ever made sense to him.

Her muscles squeezed him desperately, sucking him deeper into her. Penny's eyes clamped shut as her head tossed back in both excitement and relief, softly hitting the table's surface. Sheldon gave his last thrusts into her before his body rocked into his climax, a low, husky, "fuck," escaping his lips. He panted as he placed his hands on each side of her head to avoid falling on top of her. She watched as Sheldon took slow steady breaths, his eyes still shut tight. Penny placed both of her hands on the side of his cheek, causing him to open his eyes. It was funny, this was  _definitely_  their shortest encounter, and yet it was the best they had ever had. It was nothing like any of their previous trysts, which is what she couldn't understand, but she liked it this way. "Penny," he started, only to get caught off by her planting her lips on his. Maybe absence does make the heart grow fonder?

* * *

He silently closed the door, leaning on the wall as his mind ran through what he just saw. He didn't intend to see Sheldon and Penny together, the others just told them to find the two so that they could give an honorary toast to Sheldon for all his hard work on the Picobus. Alex had told him that Sheldon and Penny could have met at the restrooms and got lost with the maze like hallway, and needed help to get back. Oh, but he was sure that they  _did not_  need help at all. He leaned his head against the door, listening in as they talked about getting back to the room, which was his cue to run. This didn't look good.


	9. I Trust You

"You have to believe what I saw!"

"Why should we believe you? I know Penny ruined your report to the chief so you're just messing with us."

"Hey! Why are you on the ice princess' side and not mine?" Howard exclaimed, gesturing to Leonard and Raj then to him, "we're the ones who are friends here, not you and Penny! I know what I saw okay, and it was pretty..." He scrunched up his face trying to find the word to describe Penny and Sheldon's little tryst. "It was horrifying and fascinating at the same time. I mean who knew Sheldon had it in him, huh?"

Leonard and Raj gave him a look of unease before continuing their meal. With what they heard about Penny alienating Sheldon, they had really lost their appetite. Luckily, they had an all day planning project for the brainstorming of their new tablet, which meant that they wouldn't be able to get dinner. Raj stared at his food, "well it's probably the devil who manipulated him into doing it. Our Sheldon is an innocent, brilliantly retarded, virgin and there is no way that he was actually enjoying himself." He stabbed his fork into the piece of chicken on his plate, "we have to stop that devil!"

"But how?" Leonard asked, looking up from his lunch. Howard tapped a finger on his chin, "we have to confront Sheldon and tell him the dangers that lie with being the ice princess' slave!" Raj shushed him, it was a good thing that they chose the table far from their co-workers or else news would spread like wildfire. This what he hated with this lunchroom, everyone gossiped with one another here and whoever heard it would pass it on to everyone on their phonebook. If he had joked about having chlamydia here at this time of day, it would probably reach the head of the Health department and get him fired, and deported. Well, that was what he thought would happen to him.

"I don't think he'll listen to us," Howard started, poking his peas with his fork, "we all know how stubborn he is. He probably won't even admit that he's seeing the ice princess." Leonard and Raj sighed in agreement, what Howard said was true, Sheldon was the most stubborn person they had ever met. It took them four days to decide on the launching colors of the Picobus because Sheldon had a certain color in mind. Unfortunately, none of the paint shops they went to could provide a sample and they had to drive to Nevada just to check if they could make that color.

"Should we tell the chief?" Raj questioned, a pained look on his face. If the chief knew about this, he would get Sheldon fired. But since it was Sheldon, he would probably give it a second thought. With the history of vice presidents Penbark had, the chief was extremely strict on hiring them. Somehow, Sheldon had earned his trust and it's said that he was hired merely seconds after he read his resumé. There were even rumors that once the chief had retired, Sheldon would be the one to take over.

"I don't think so."

The three men jumped as Alex dragged a seat towards them. Alex shrugged and sat down, grinning at them, "what you think I don't know?" They shook their heads causing her to groan. "I am Mr. Cooper's personal secretary, don't you think it's odd for me that he just randomly disappears throughout the day? I also remember the day that I first had suspicions about them," she grabbed a sandwich from her bag, "it was roughly around the time that you guys were finalizing the Picobus. I had a short break from my post and then when I returned, Mr. Cooper and Miss Penny came out of his office. Oh and just about a month ago, there was this tension between the two of them. She wouldn't let us pass and it was like he was intentionally provoking her," she took a bite of her sandwich, "plus she kept glaring at me like I was the devil."

The three men stared at her before staring at each other. Why in the world didn't she tell them?

Howard decided to speak his mind as he was the one who caught them in the act. "Why didn't you tell us?" Alex shrugged, taking an apple from her bag, "well one, this isn't  _any_  of your business and two, they're actually cute together. I mean, the promiscuous girl and the sexually retarded guy? They're perfect together." Leonard raised an eyebrow, "but wait, don't you have feelings for Sheldon?"

Alex paused, giving Leonard a light glare before continuing with her meal. "I do, but come on, did it ever occur to you that he might be happy with whatever it is he's doing with Penny?" Howard scoffed, "happy? Okay Alex,  _maybe_ , just maybe, he's happy right now, but what if Penny gets him fired? Do you think he'll be happy? I don't think so." Raj nodded in agreement with his best friend who continued, "so let's just put aside his happiness for now and focus on his future!"

"That is just plain stupid, what kind of friends are you if you don't want him to be happy?" Alex growled, roughly taking a bite of her apple. She really hated how these boys thought sometimes, especially how they were the company geniuses. Though, they weren't nearly as smart as Sheldon, they were still impressively smart. "Mr. Cooper will only ignore your 'words of advice' if you keep acting that way. I also disagree with the fact that you guys think that it isn't possible for Mr. Cooper to be happy with Miss Penny! You can't do anything if they like each other, you know."

Howard narrowed his eyes at her, "and this is why Sheldon will never like you."

Alex scoffed, "oh please at least I'm not desperate enough to pretend that  _I_  was the one who singlehandedly made the Picobus." Leonard and Raj glared at Howard, waiting for an explanation. "Okay so maybe I told Bernadette, you know the head of pharmaceuticals, that I invented it myself but come on! Don't you want to see me happy?" The brunette shook her head along with the other two, "you don't even want Mr. Cooper to be happy. So it's a no."

"So you're gonna tell her the truth?" Howard asked, leaning towards the table.

Alex nodded, "pretty much."

* * *

" _So_ ," Penny drawled as she moved from the dining table to the couch where Sheldon sat, "what do you want to do today?"

Sheldon glanced at her before returning his attention to his comic book. "Nothing really, I'd be more than delighted if I can get a good REM sleep. Work has gotten more and more hectic ever since one of our advertisement heads slipped about the Picobus Drogue tablet."

The blonde nodded, placing her feet on top of the coffee table as she leaned back. "Remember to point out which that was and I'll get her fired. I don't like it when work hogs your attention from me." She watched as he flipped a page, purely engrossed in what he was reading. "It's inevitable as we must rush the production on our gadgets. With the Picobus being the talk of the tech world we are required to follow it up with devices that are not subpar with it's greatness. It will be gravely embarrassing if we release a follow up that is defective like other companies."

She turned to him, resting the side of her face on her arm. Watching him do things that he was interested in was her new hobby. She just loved how there was a glint of excitement and joy in his eyes whenever something he liked happened. She also hated it because it was turning her into a softy. Never in the past four years of doing this did she ever feel as attached to her dog as she did with Sheldon. Which was exactly what she hated about him, he made her one of those protagonists in those mushy romantic books where s/he is cold but a certain someone gets her/him to soften up. It was all too cliche, and that was what she was going to name her imaginary book: Cliche. "But didn't some person say that perfection takes time? So that means that you could take some time off?" God she was turning into one of those clingy, overly attached girlfriends.

Oh wait, they weren't together in the conventional way. They weren't even together in any way because she was pretty sure slavery was banned years ago. She sighed as she thought of how they were more like acquaintances with benefits rather than boyfriend and girlfriend. She sighed again when she realized that she was probably the only one who may or may not have, she'd never admit it to anyone though, have feelings.

"That's highly improbable," he said as he glanced at her, ignoring the fact that she was staring at him. She always stared at him, which others would find creepy, but as he was used to being a person in a high position, people staring happened a lot. Clueless employees, stupid interviewees, business deals that he rejected, they all stared at him and he always paid no mind to them. "With the technology today, it doesn't take nearly as long as it would have five years ago. *Have you seen the Apple company, Penny? They keep spitting out new versions of iPhones like it was some extreme tongue burning soup."

The blonde frowned, glancing at her white iPhone 5 she loved so much that sat on the coffee table. "If it's that quick then why can't you get it finished already?"

He flipped another page, talking to her had ruined his concentration. "Because we want it to be perfect. Every single detail must be perfect; making sure that the battery doesn't drain as quickly like that overrated phone of yours; that the camera is as excellent as we promised unlike that overrated iPad of yours; and last of all, making sure that it is much better than the previous one. It's a hard job to make a difference, Penny. You wouldn't know as all you do is design clothes that are already in 'style' with other stores."

Penny gasped, "hey! I'll have you know that my designs are original! It just so happens that those are the fashion sense of the year and that I decided to cash in on it. Besides, I know that it's hard to make a difference! I always think about how to be different from the other brands and let me tell you mister, it's extremely difficult."

Sheldon prepared to answer back but was interrupted by his phone ringing loudly. He quickly reached for it and read the name of the caller, Alex, then glanced at Penny who was already glaring at him. Penny was not happy about his and Alex's friendship, or connection at all. She said something about, her 'stealing away her property when he didn't expect it' that was overly confusing to him. She also said that she wouldn't be shocked if Alex made a move on him and that she would cut his genitalia off if he fell for it. Penny believed that he and Alex had an 'affair' going on. Not that he and Penny were in a relationship together. He never found love and relationships as a necessity, and it probably would never be one.

Regardless about his time with  _her_ , it was different. Something drew him to her, and that something also caused him his job. But at that time he thought that maybe it would be different, which is also why he strongly advised using your head over your heart. The heart is stupid, and is far away from the brain, hence, it can't think. Though, he sometimes wondered if Penny wanted said relationship with him. According to the websites he found in google, and the magazines she read, what they were doing was sort of like a relationship. Spending time together; always contacting each other; coitus; staying at their apartment; blackmail coitus threatening to reveal your deepest darkest secret; and eating together. It was also thanks to the questionnaire Penny had filled out in one of the magazines which was titled, 'are we already in a relationship?' Though he truly didn't care about Penny branding herself as his 'girlfriend,' if she wanted it he would give it to her, not that he wanted one himself. Relationships will, and will always be, idiotic.

"Alex, is there a problem?" He asked, turning away from Penny who had already crawled towards him. "Oh, uh, not really Mr. Cooper, I just wanted to check up on you?" He wasn't sure if it was a question, but it did sound like a question. "On me? Is there something terrible that happened?" He squirmed as the blonde made her way to his lap, straddling him and glaring at him. He glared back at her as she mouthed that he hang up the phone. "Oh no, it's just that, Leonard told me that you were acting a bit weird lately... I was just a bit worried." Sheldon nodded as Penny pressed the side of her face to the back of his phone, trying to listen in to what Alex was saying. "Yes well I am feeling more than better, thank you for asking. I also hardly think that I'd ever get sick."

Penny frowned as she heard Alex giggle through the phone, what a slut. "Of course, Mr. Cooper, you are the general of cleanliness and hygiene! Oh, by the way, is it okay if I schedule in a lunch appointment for next week, Wednesday maybe?" Sheldon quickly slapped a hand over Penny's mouth, stopping her from protesting about a Wednesday appointment. They could always eat at dinnertime. "Of course, I am free on Wednesday. What is this appointment about?" There was a moment of silence while Penny started to lick the palm of his hand, causing him to glare at her. "I wanted to have lunch with you," Alex said in a fairly happy tone. "Of course, I have no scheduled appointment for Wednesday, I'd be happy to join you."

Before Penny could yell, he pinned her down on the sofa, his hand still covering hers. Though he was too tired for any of this type of activities, he had to get her silent. Whenever Alex called about something for work or an appointment he had, Penny would always find a way to interrupt him. Sometimes, he wondered if Alex knew about him and Penny, and if she did and was still staying quiet, she deserved a raise. He knew that Penny was furious that he said yes, and that she would punish him for this after the call. He really wouldn't have said yes, but when he heard Leonard and Raj's voice in the background saying 'Wednesday' he just had to find out what was up. He placed his knee in between Penny's thighs as she started squirming and murmuring through his palm. Sheldon wondered if this was how a 'girlfriend' would act, it was utterly ridiculous. He watched as Penny's eyes shut tightly as he gently rubbed his knee against her, finally getting her to stay quiet. It was also a bonus that Penny would no longer hear what Alex would say, he didn't want her stalking him.

"Where will we meet?" He asked, rubbing harder as Penny tried to sit up. "Well, the lobby would be okay, we'll eat at a restaurant down the street if that's okay with you?" Sheldon nodded, "just make sure that it's clean, I don't want to eat at an unhygienic restaurant." He removed himself off of Penny and quickly dashed towards the terrace, closing the door as Penny realized that he left. "Of course, Mr. Cooper, I'm your assistant, I'd know that. Well I'll see you tomorrow Mr. Cooper!" He said goodbye then hung up, opening the door to find a furious Penny. "Why did you say yes? Wednesday is  _our_  day!"

He made his way back to the sofa, picking up the comic book he had abandoned. "I'd prefer it if you calm down, Penny. We can always have dinner." Penny quickly sat down beside him, still glaring, "didn't I tell you that sooner or later she was going to make a move on you? Why did you say yes?" Sheldon sighed, turning to her, "I am not going to do anything wrong, Penny. It's just lunch, don't you trust me?" The blonde stared at him, "I do... But she might think that you're leading her on!" He shrugged, he knew that she was infuriated. Maybe if he gave her what she wanted, she'd stop interfering. He needed to know why Alex had not mentioned Raj and Leonard. "I am not sure as to what leading one on means, but I assure you that I will not. In exchange of me going to lunch with Alex, why don't you go and have those parties of yours. Though, be sure to stay clean. I can't trust anyone who participates in those to be clean."

Penny's eyes widened slightly as her mind registered what Sheldon had just said. Did he just say that he didn't trust her, and that she can't stay clean? "You don't trust me!" She accused, roughly jabbing a hand at his chest causing him to scowl. "I'd appreciate it if you don't assault me, Penny. To answer your question, I  _do_  trust you, it's  _them_  that I do not trust." She gritted her teeth as she tore the comic book away from him, running towards the kitchen to turn on the stove before burning the book. "What are you doing?!" Sheldon shrieked as he ran towards her. He quickly turned the stove off and threw his book into the sink, running the water on. He turned around, a deadly look on his face. "That was a vintage Invincible Iron Man  _issue number one_  do you know how valuable this is?!"

Penny returned his look, she was angry. He still thought that she had some sort of STD, even after she showed him the results. She wasn't lying when she said that she was clean, why would she lie about that to a neat freak like him? Other than to make sure that he comes back to her, but that was beside the point. She hated how she felt so offended about him saying that she was dirty, she was even more offended that he  _still_  thinks she's dirty! She never cared when all of her siblings' friends talked about her, when her so called "friends" talked about her, when her ex-boyfriends talked about her, but now she was furious just because of one stupid moron. She mentally sighed, she really needed to get herself checked.

"I'll just buy you a new one."

He blinked, his eyes twitching as he gritted his teeth. "Buy me a new one? Penny I camped overnight with my older brother's beat up sleeping bag to get in line for that! I used three years of my good boy savings for that and you're just gonna buy me a new one?!" Penny blinked back as she stared at Sheldon, was a comic book really that valuable? She shrugged, she just wanted to grab his attention and now she finally broke him. "Yes, I'll buy you a new one. I'll even get that Stanly guy to sign it for you if you want." He stared at her for a while, processing what she had just said. In lieu of his now burned and soggy vintage comic book she would get him another copy, with Stan Lee's signature on it? He hated it when a bribe won him over.

Sheldon sighed, reaching out to switch the tap off then faced her again, his arms crossed. He couldn't resist a good offer even if his life depended on it. "Alright, but I'm not forgetting this! You'll be listed in my book of enemies for this little act of yours." He said as he made his way back to the couch and grabbed his laptop, he'd just concentrate on his work rather than waste his time on her. "Maybe even before Wil Wheaton..."

Penny leaned against the counter, watching him carefully. She loved how money temporarily solved her problem, it had always been like that. Though, money wouldn't help her in gaining Sheldon's complete trust. She trusted him completely, it was Alex who she didn't trust. Thinking back to a few days earlier, she had come across a blog that talked about some... "trust" exercises. Maybe she could use it on him? Sheldon had always had an interest in experiments, maybe it was time she too, dabbled in a little experiment of her own.

She smiled to herself, she would be victorious.

* * *

Sheldon checked his phone as he stepped out of the hotel elevator, making his way to Penny's suite.

Wyatt decided to open various Picobus stores around the country and he had been asked to check the ones inside the Los Angeles county. The store would contain all of the electronic devices that Penbark have and would release: the Picobus Cylo, the camera, the Picobus phone and the Picobus Drogue, the tablet. There would be more additions in the upcoming months, but they were focusing on the Drogue more. There were around ten stores in the county alone, and it had taken him all day to check each and every one of them. He hoped that he didn't have to inspect the stores outside of the county as well, he was looking forward to testing the Drogue soon. Once they release the Drogue, they would then work on various devices like more phones and cameras, and the highly anticipated Picobus computers. Work had been even more exhausting than his time with the Picobus, making him wonder if he really should have pursued physics instead.

He opened the door, walking into the dark room. Had the electricity gone out? But he had just used the elevator. Was Penny out? However, the door was unlocked, which meant that she was inside the suite. Chaz, the manager, would have given him the key if she was out... Had Penny been robbed? Sheldon looked around, finally spotting a bright candle, followed by another one, leading towards Penny's bedroom. Why would the burglars leave candles? Did they leave some sort of message in her bedroom , or was it a trap? He searched for his pen inside his bag, clicking it once he found it. A few stabs at the right places could possibly kill anyone who would threaten him, assuming that he would be alive to get near enough to stab them. With a deep breath he made his way to her room. Sheldon slowly opened the door, eyes widening and jaw dropping at the sight in front of him.

Penny sat crossed legged on her bed, wearing a tight black leather body suit and black leather boots. Sheldon quickly spun around as he saw her give him a daunting smirk. He had a terribly bad feeling that this wasn't gonna end well. "Penny, what in the heavens are you wearing?!" He winced as he wondered if she was cost-playing as Catwoman, but that wouldn't explain why there were candles leading into her room. "Oh don't pretend that you're not turned on," she slowly said, "I for one know saw that you're our little friend is  _pretty_  excited." Sheldon looked down, cursing himself for even dabbling into carnal desires. Pon Farr or not, he still shouldn't be reacting this way, he was better than primitive urges.

He quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he heard the crack of a whip. Turning around, he cocked an eyebrow. He didnt know that Penny was into role-playing. "Are you cosplaying Catwoman? If you are, the sleeves should be up to your wrists and you should also wear matching leather pants. Oh, unless you're portraying the Halle Berry version, than you are overdressed. Also, shouldn't you be wearing a mask?"

Penny stared at him, completely dumbfounded. These were one of the few times that she just wanted to kick Sheldon out and never speak to him again. Was he really that blind to not realize what she was planning on doing with him? She had never really done this before, but awhile back, she heard some of her dogs asking her to do this type of thing. At the time, she really wasn't stupid and retarded enough to actually 'like' them and completely rejected the idea, but now, well that was a different story. "I'm not trying to portray anyone," she calmly said. She wasn't going to ruin this now, she had seen how he was already reacting to her. Maybe Sheldon did have some kind of fetish... was it BDSM? "This was supposed to be pink but the store run out of it, so I bought this."

"If you aren't cosplaying Catwoman, then why do you have a whip? Catwoman likes whips because she believes that the user must be trained before using it correctly, therefore it cannot easily be used against her." The blonde groaned as Sheldon babbled more about Catwoman, if she could only stab him, she would. "I'm not trying to dress up as that superhero of yours. This is for a little activity you're gonna do." He furrowed his eyebrows, "what activity? I hardly think that outfit is appropriate for any activity, Penny."

"Sheldon, would you just, trust me?" She snapped, staring at the whip one last time before disregarding it on the floor. It came with the costume and some of the items she purchased, she wasn't really planning on using it. He nodded, rubbing the side of his arm as he shifted from one weight to the other. Watching her play with the whip oddly reminded him more of Catwoman, and that made him uncomfortable,  _very_  uncomfortable. Penny finally looked up at him, "take your clothes off." He shifted again, "Penny, must I real-"

"Sheldon, I said, take your clothes off. Do you trust me or not?"

He sighed, slowly unbuttoning his shirt and removing it then unbuckled his belt and took off his pants. He neatly placed them inside the hamper that stood beside the door before facing her. "Undershirt and briefs go off too." He continued staring at her, "don't tell me you're actually embarrassed? You've seen me naked more times than I can remember, and I've seen you naked as much times as you've seen me naked. Now take them off before I  _rip_  them off of you." Sheldon quickly pulled his shirt off then removed his briefs and placed them in the hamper along with the rest of his clothes. Penny smiled at him before standing and grabbing his hand, pulling him towards her bed.

With a hard push, he landed with his back against the bed, causing him to back up. He really wasn't sure what he feared more, angry Penny or whatever type of Penny this was. Though he doubted that there was a difference. Sheldon watched as she grabbed something from her table then made her way back to him, sitting on top of his stomach. "So you've got to trust me, alright?" She held up a blindfold, causing his eyes to go wide. "Penny, what exactly are we gonna do that requires a blindfold?" She looked down at him, dangling the piece of cloth over his face. " _This_  is a very essential part of this activity we're going to do and if you don't trust me you won't get that comic book signed by that Stanly guy." She grinned victoriously as he kept his mouth shut. She bent over, placing the blindfold over his eyes then tied it tightly behind his head. She would have bought the normal slip on ones, but that wouldn't have been much fun.

Sheldon counted to ten before he decided that not being able to see was too much for him. He quickly writhed under her than placed his hands on the knot trying to untie it . He felt Penny lean over, her sultry voice causing him to stop momentarily. "Sheldon, you just have to trust me, okay?" He slowly nodded, trying to get his mind to concentrate despite the uncomfortable darkness and position they were in. He waited for a moment before he felt something soft and light sliding over his face. Slowly, the item went down his throat and was now running against his chest. Was it some sort of stuffed toy of hers? Maybe even her hair? No it was a feather! Why did Penny have a feather? He suddenly felt the feather move against his nipples, causing him to groan. Why was he feeling so much pleasure from it? Who knows, Penny might have already left the room and had gotten some random unsanitary man to do this for her. Which was impossible since he could smell her apple scented hair, and he had promised to trust her.

The feather moved from his chest slowly down his stomach then made it's way to his... testicles. He gritted his teeth as his body started twitching, how was one measly feather even causing him pleasure? It wasn't logical nor possible, and yet here he was, a step closer to his orgasm. He now believed that Penny  _was_  the devil's spawn. The feather rubbed against him for a few more minutes before stopping, causing him to groan loudly. He reached out to touch his stiff member but was stopped by Penny's hand gripping his wrist. He felt her move closer to his ear, "Remember, Sheldon, just trust me okay." He nodded, he could feel her moving to reach something again. He secretly hoped that it -wasn't- her whip, anything but that. "Time to put the dog on the leash." Well, maybe not  _anything_.

Penny reached for the rope tied on to her headboard and wrapped it around Sheldon's left wrist, tying it the way that blog instructed her to, comfortable but tight enough that he couldn't move more than a few inches. "Penny, what are you doing, that's not a good idea. Penny, are you even listening- is this rope?" He kept on wriggling and whining as she fixed the rope on his other wrist. "Penny, as your bo-" Halfway through researching about this, she wondered if this would help Sheldon trust her. Regardless of her stupid feelings, she had a feeling that she would hurt him at a certain point of this activity. That time was now. She gripped his arm so hard that she just  _knew_  it was gonna bruise. Why she did it? Maybe she was enjoying BDSM a little too much, or maybe she really was a bit on the sadistic side. Plus she didnt want to use the whip, they weren't ready for that, well she wasn't. She finally released him when she heard him groan, again. Was this really pleasurable for him?

She moved down to his feet grabbing the rope and tying one foot then tying another. "I hardly think that this is appropriate, Penny." She tilted her head to the side then returned to her spot on his stomach, "really? Do tell, Shelly." He scowled at her, "for starters this is not a way to treat your superior." Penny crossed her arms, smirking down at him, "superior huh? So you're my superior, I didn't know that," he nodded in his place, "now that you have seen your faults maybe you should let me g-" She lowered her head and captured his lips in a slow and sensuous kiss. It was the only way she knew to shut him up, well, the only way that wouldn't break her plan. "I- need- to- do- something-" he said in between kisses. She gave him one last lingering kiss before pulling away, "do you trust me?" Penny saw his hand struggling to reach her but failed, causing him to growl. "I trust you."

"Well, you gotta let your master please you, right?" She said, her voice both a growl and a purr as she dragged a finger down his side. Penny began trailing kisses along his jaw and beneath his ear. He found himself tilting his head to give her everything she seemed to want from him. She found herself smiling when she heard a low moan from him as she moved to his neck, nipping and sucking at his soft skin. Sheldon felt her move lower, flicking her tongue at his hardened nipple, causing him to struggle against the ropes. "Penny, I-" She placed a finger on his lips, silencing him, "we'll get there, you just have to be patient." He tilted his head to face her, "why must I be patient and yet you always get what you want?" She lightly patted his cheek, chuckling, "oh sweetie, it's cause you're the dog, but now worries. This will be worth it, I promise." Her teeth rasped across his nipple, causing hips to do a spasmodic thrust. He offered no more protests, merely whimpering and groaning at the movement of her mouth.

Sheldon resisted the urge to trash against his bonds as she lapped at the tender place below his hipbone. He really couldn't take it anymore, but none of Penny's actions were enough to get him to orgasm, but he was  _so_  close. The blonde left s soft kiss at his navel before moving to sit below his knees. She stared at his throbbing organ, tempted to do something she had never done to Sheldon or any of her dogs before. But if she did that, even how the blog she read said not to, this wasn't the right time. She'd save it for another time. She lowered her lips to kiss the skin around his member, as she moved to the next area, her cheek accidentally brushed his shaft, causing him to cry out. "Penny, why is it that you must torture me like this?"

She sat back up, stifling a giggle. If she knew that this was this fun, she would have done this type of activities sooner. Maybe they could even try the more hardcore BDSM stuff next time... If Sheldon wouldn't run away from her. "Relax, we're at the last part, this is supposed to be the best." Penny stood and grabbed the final item required on the blog, "how am I supposed to relax when I am blind, immobile and- oh god!" She started to drop some of the melted wax from one of the candles on his chest. Hearing his yelp she quickly withdrew the candle, her eyes widening, "Sheldon I'm so sorry-" he quickly shook his head, "no, it's not that- please continue- it feels so good and I'm so close!" Penny blinked as she continue to trail the wax down his body, she had never heard those kind of sounds coming from Sheldon. They were... turning her on in the oddest way possible.

"Penny!" He growled loudly as his body shook with his orgasm. She quickly closed her eyes ignoring how the sound of him crying her name as he orgasmed made her incredibly wet. The plan was to get him to trust her, to trust her that for once she didn't need to reach her climax and that it was about him for once. If she didn't love that stupid... Penny's eyes widened as she thought back to what she had thought, it was probably just the spur of the moment. She moved to his feet, quickly untying both of the restraints then went to his arms and undid both of the rope, allowing Sheldon to sit up. He panted as he placed a hand behind his head, untying the blindfold. "That was... fascinating," he started staring at her with a flushed expression. "Never in my life have I ever felt something as... amazing as that without the need for participating in coitus." He took a few deep breaths as she sat on the edge of her bed, still shaken over what she had just seen.

"For some peculiar reason I believe I should thank you," he glanced at his hand before placing it on her shoulder. He still didn't like touching people and vice versa, but Penny was no longer a stranger to him and he sometimes even found it relaxing to be in her presence. "Thank you for this fascinating experience, Penny."

She nodded, glancing over her shoulder to smile at him, "yeah well, you're lucky that I lo-" she closed her mouth before she could continue what she was about to say. Her, Penny, loving someone? That was impossible! She didn't do feelings, and even if she did she didn't do love! This just couldn't be happening, she wasn't ready, and even if she was, Sheldon would  _never_  be ready. "I look at you and I see the ideal dog, so I think that you deserve a reward every now and then." Penny placed a hand on his arm, patting it and causing him to wince. Oh, it  _did_  bruise, and it looked like it would have gotten worse. Well, she  _was_  a champion at Junior Rodeo.

With a smile, she turned to him, a brilliant idea crossing her mind. She was victorious with her plan, she could have some fun with her own rules.

"So, are you up for round two?"

* * *

Sheldon sighed as he rubbed his arm, it had bruised ever since his encounter with Penny. It was a good thing that most of his clothes were long sleeved or else everyone would inquire of why he had it. It had been two days since their little 'activity' and he was thankful that Penny was too busy to kidnap him. Penny had enjoyed manhandling him and decided to spend the next few hours trying different methods she learned on that forsaken blog of hers. He used the past days for recovery and he was feeling a bit better from the initial day after. Penny had promised to avoid that blog again after she had accidentally whipped him, and thus they finally stopped. Sheldon mentally cried as he saw that the hallway to the cafeteria was empty, which meant that he would finally get some peace and quiet.

"Psst!"

He raised an eyebrow silently praying that it wasn't Penny. Though, if it was Penny, she would have just grabbed him then and there. Penny had no sense of shame and didn't care what others thought of her, it was something they shared in common,

"Come here!" The voice whispered, still unknown to where the person was hiding. With a huff, Sheldon decided to continue on his way. That was, until someone roughly yanked him towards the hallway to the emergency exit. Sheldon spun around glaring at his short intruder. "Howard would you please care to explain how you thought that you had the right to physically assault me like that!" He growled as he rubbed his already bruised arm, he didn't expect the tiny man to even have enough strength to pull him like that. Howard furrowed his eyebrows, "I'm sorry, but it's just really important."

The taller man narrowed his eyes as he straightened his posture, "if it was  _this_  important, why didn't you just visit me in my office? Or schedule an appointment with Alex?" Howard shifted his feet, he couldn't just waltz into Sheldon's office with Alex cautiously watching out for him. Alex had warned them that if they get in the way of Sheldon's 'happiness' she would personally make their lives a living hell. It was easy to intimidate Leonard and Raj, they were weak, but no amount of threats would make him, Howard Wolowitz, back down. It was up to him to save Sheldon from the hands of the Lochness monster aka Medusa aka the ice princess aka Penny.

"Look there isn't any easy way to say this so I just have to get this over with." Howard took a deep breath, "I saw what you and Penny were doing in that private karaoke room."

Sheldon's eyes widened as he stepped back, a bright red tint appearing across his cheeks. Howard saw them? Didn't they lock the door? Someone was a witness to him succumbing into... such primitive urges. He was disgusted with himself, well the fact that he was caught in the act. He had been indecent, what would his Meemaw say about him? How would his overly religious mother react? He swallowed before furrowing his eyebrows, there was no way he could deny it. Besides, he wasn't good at lying, Howard would see right through it. "I- I don't know what to say." Sheldon said as he rubbed the back of his neck, he now knew what an 'awkward situation' was. It wasn't fun.

Howard crossed his arms and nodded, "you don't have to say anything. I'm the one who has something to say." He was initially shocked that Sheldon didn't deny it, he had prepared himself to pry the truth out from Sheldon either via the hard way or the harder way. It was a shame though, he already had intimidating lines for him ready.

Sheldon raised an eyebrow, "and that is?"

* * *

"Stay away from her, she is up to no good! She's just using you so that she can get you fired. If you avoid her, it will work wonders for you, Sheldon! You have to stop whatever it is between the two of you and just think of her like a plague. You know the history of all of the vice presidents before you, they were all chased off, by her!"

Penny raised an eyebrow as she stopped walking. She was on her way to get her lunch when she heard a discussion between two people. At first she thought that it was two people breaking up, but as she listened, it got more interesting. She really wasn't one for gossip, no, every other topic in the world was more interesting than gossip, even Sheldon's geeky hobbies. Ever since she started the whole 'dog' thing she had become numb to gossip about her. It would be better if she didn't speak at all. But then a certain sentence caught her attention.

" _I saw what you and Penny were doing in that private karaoke room."_

Which meant one thing, someone knew about Sheldon and her. Not that she didn't mind, she couldn't care less if the whole world knew about them, she was just worried about Sheldon. She planned everything from the start, well except the 'feelings' part she always denied, so she knew what to do. But what she didn't expect was something alienating her pet into staying away from her. No one had the right to tell  _her_  dog who he can and can't be 'friends' with other than her. And  _no one_  had the right to tell him that he should stay away from her, absolutely no one.

"I don't see how me being acquaintances with Penny is a problem, Howard."

So it was the tiny engineer who was getting in the way, she had to do something to get him back. Things were finally going good with Sheldon, and he wasn't going to ruin it anytime soon. And she will make sure that even if Sheldon listens to him, she will do everything in her power to make him change his mind. She already lost him once because of his stupid OCD she isn't gonna lose him again over something as stupid as this. Sure, she did on purpose what she did to those other dogs, sure she doesn't know what she's doing with Sheldon, but that doesn't mean it's wrong. As cliche as it may sound, she may have made some minor adjustments in her motives, but it doesn't mean that she's out to get Sheldon fired. Okay at one point she was, but not anymore.

"It is, Sheldon!" Howard yelped, breaking Penny from her trance. "Can't you understand that she's just doing this to get you fired? So that she can move on to the next guy and then get him fired? It's never gonna end, and you'll just be another rock in the way!"

"I hardly think that comparing me to a rock is appropriate," she heard Sheldon snort. She mentally laughed, he had always been stubborn. She stepped closer to the hallway they were conversing in, waiting for the perfect moment to interject herself into the conversation. She needed to defend Sheldon, she brought him into this, and she will bring him out. "You're letting her brainwash you! Don't let her control you Sheldon, she's just using you! She's called the ice princess for a reason, and it's cause she  _has no_  feelings! Let's say you have feelings for her, just an example, she's not gonna feel the same way about you-"

"Now hold it right there," Penny growled, catching their attention as she leaned against the wall, her arms folded over her chest. "You don't know me, and you don't know whats in my head, you have no right to tell Sheldon what you 'think' I 'think."

Howard backed up as Penny stalked towards them, a deadly look on her face. Sheldon sighed, predator Penny was back and deadlier than ever. He would have laughed at the fact that Penny was about to kill the tiny engineer just because she overheard their conversation but he was still his friend, and he had to keep him alive. He reached his arm out and grabbed the blonde's arm, ignoring the pain rippling his arm as he pulled her back. "Sheldon, let go of me," she slowly said, not bothering to look at him. "I won't let you kill him, he is needed in the programming of the Picobus Drogue."

"Can't you get another engineer? There are tons that are better than this little weasel!" She spat, preparing to lunge at Howard but was swiftly pulled back by Sheldon. She had completely forgot about the 'strength' Sheldon had every now and then, especially how she saw him helplessly begging in their encounter. She wanted to do the more hardcore BDSM stuff but after she got to excited and whipped him, she decided not to. It was either her becoming a despicable sap or she wasnt as sadistic as she thought. She hoped that it was the latter. "I'm afraid I can't do that, he was there at the very start of the process, therefore he must be there till the end. Maybe once we finish, then you can fire him."

"Hey!" Howard yelped as Sheldon shrugged. Penny groaned, feeling defeated, "but let go of me. I need to say a few words." Sheldon gave her a look and the blonde continued, "don't you trust me? I'm not gonna kill him, I promise."

They stared at each other for a few moments before Sheldon sighed again. They had been through this trust conundrum, and now Penny was testing him, again. He slowly let go of her arm and stepped back, "I trust you." The blonde turned to him and smiled, patting him on the head, "good. Now go and be a dear and get our lunch. I'll meet you at my office." With one last pointing look, Sheldon left for the cafeteria. He really hated it when others told him what to do, but he trusted her... and it was just this once. Immediately as he left, Penny's glare reappeared as she stalked towards Howard. "Now, listen up, you will not, I repeat, will not get in the way of me and Sheldon's relationship."

"Relationship?" Howard scoffed, "I hardly think that this is a relationship, you treat him like he's your dog, not your boyfriend! If you do care for him, then you should treat him like he's your boyfriend!"

Penny lifted her chin, trying to hide the defeat in her eyes. "He's not my boyfriend," her eyes snapped back at him, as she cornered him to a wall, "but that's not the point. You have no business in whatever is going on between Sheldon and me, do you understand? You have no say whatsoever in what and who Sheldon wants to associate with, so you better fuck off. This is the last warning I am giving you, and consider this as a threat. I will make your life a living hell if I find out that you say more bullshit to Sheldon, do you understand?"

Howard nervously nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. She smirked, stepping back from his, "I'm glad that you understand. Wouldn't want my assistant to get resumes, wouldn't we?" She smiled again before walking off, "you better watch what you say to Sheldon, or else." His eyes followed her figure before she disappeared towards the cafeteria and took a deep, deep, deep breath. She may be a couple years younger than him, but she was terrifying. If Sheldon hadn't held her back she would have killed him, and probably set it up as a suicide.

He shook his head as he pushed himself away from the wall. Even with her and Alex's threats he wasn't going to stop convincing Sheldon to stay way from her. Two women wanting to kill him, it was like some twisted fantasy he had, minus the killing part. There was a whole new level of determination building inside him, he was gonna save Sheldon whether he liked it or not. And to Penny, well, this wasn't over  _yet_.


	10. Don't Hurt My Friends

"Well, that's really like him. We haven't seen him in over a year and he still manages to avoid us!"

"Calm down, I'm sure he's just in a meeting. He'll be back, it's probably his lunch break or something."

"Oh no sister, you hey you! Where is Sheldon Cooper?"

"Oh uh, he's out for lunch. He left a few minutes ago, I think?"

"See, I told you, he's out for lunch."

"Well maybe if you didn't take half an hour to choose an outfit from your wardrobe that consists of all black, maybe we could have caught him!"

"Hey don't put the blame on me, I'm not the one who  _needed_  to apply makeup even though he doesn't even need makeup!"

"Maybe if  _you_  put some makeup on you wouldn't look like that ghost girl from the ring!"

"That's it, I am so done with you!"

Penny furrowed her eyebrows at the two people fighting in front of her. Sheldon was out for that lunch meeting with that floozy woman, and had also practically avoided her during the morning. A thousand punishments flooded her mind as she thought about what they could be talking about, but her father had interfered and asked her to prepare her documents for board presentation. She decided to drop the documents of her agenda at Sheldon's office when she saw the pair. The pair consisted of a tall, dramatic, good looking man, and an equally as tall, pale, emotionless woman with jet black hair. She had been watching them for a while now, and she found herself oddly... amused.

"Gregory Michael Wilkes,  _you_  were the one who dragged me into this! I was perfectly happy minding my own life until you suddenly barged into my quiet apartment and declared that we see Sheldon!" The lady accused, pointing a slender finger at him.

The man huffed, fixing his light brown hair. "This is so like you, Bailey! Don't tell me you didn't miss Sheldon when you were the one who practically cried when he decided to move to California!" Penny raised an eyebrow, intrigued at what the seemingly gay man had said. So they were Sheldon's friends back at Texas... and the girl seemed to be  _very_  close to him. How interesting.

The dark haired girl's face paled, if it could get any whiter, "what? He's my friend who was leaving the state, how could I not cry? And you cried as well! You even wrote poetry to express your grief! You pretended as if he  _died_ , Gregg." The man, Gregg, gasped, dramatically placing a hand over his mouth. "Poetry is my hobby, and it just so happens that I found a wonderful topic! Unlike  _you_  who just kept terrorizing Texas and blaming me for everything! We haven't spoke nor seen Sheldon since he got fired from that stupid company, you can't blame me for missing him! What kind of friend are you to not even miss him?"

Penny's eyebrows went high, were they talking about *Calder? "Just cause I don't cry and whine to everyone how sad I am that he's gone doesn't mean that I don't miss him! Honestly Gregg, stop being such a bitch!" The man's body straightened, his face darkening. "How dare you call me a bitch-"

"Do you have any business here?" She asked as she stepped forward, announcing her presence.

The two friends, if they were, looked at each other before sighing. "We're looking for Sheldon Lee Cooper, the new VP? do you happen to know him?" The girl asked as she folded her arms over her chest. Penny smirked, "Oh yeah, I'm his colleague and I also am here to see him. If you're not doing anything, would you care to join me for lunch? We can wait for him together." The two looked at each other again, shrugging, before smiling back at her. She smiled back then gestured to the elevator, "my office is on the 19th floor, we'll have lunch there."

The two followed her inside the elevator, staring at her as they waited.

"So you're friends with Sheldon, huh?" Penny inquired, glancing over to the two. The woman nodded, "yes, we're his old friends." The man's eyes then widened, his face animatedly expressing worry. He stepped over to his friend, "you have no manners at all!" He lightly slapped her arm, then turned back to Penny, "it's so rude of us to not introduce ourselves! I'm Gregg, and this is Bailey, we're Sheldon's friends from Texas." Penny grinned at the two, they were still odd to her, "I'm Penny, head of the clothing department. So what brings you two all the way from Texas to see Sheldon?"

The woman, Bailey, shook her head, "oh no, we wouldn't do that. We both live in Los Angeles, and we came here because your company's wonderful vice president vanished from the face of the earth." The flamboyant man, Gregg, crossed his arms, "it's true, I mean, it's not unusual for him to avoid humans, but we barely even got an email updating us about his current whereabouts. He normally sends his family, and the two of us, logs of what he has accomplished for the sake of us knowing. Then he suddenly stopped, and the two of us hadn't heard from him in a year. We only heard about him transferring to Penbark when I called his mother."

"You two must be really close to Sheldon." Penny commented as the elevator door opened, leading them to her office. She heard them laugh wildly from behind and briefly wondered what the hell was up with the two. Gregg stopped laughing first, sitting on one of the chairs in front of her desk. "You could say that! We were always together back in the day, especially Bailey over there. They practically spent their whole lives together! Isn't that right Bailey?" The dark haired woman sighed, "it's true, and I blame science for it."

Penny took a seat at her desk, grabbing her files as she texted the chef to bring them lunch. A little digging into Sheldon's past would be very,  _very_  interesting.

* * *

"Are you really gonna ignore us?" Howard questioned, slamming his glass on the table.

Sheldon looked up from his barbecue bacon cheeseburger, barbecue, bacon and cheese on the side. "I am not ignoring you, I have merely opted to not respond to your blasphemous accusations." He took a napkin from the dispenser then wiped his mouth from the unavoidable sauce stain at the corners of his mouth. They had been in the restaurant for more than an hour and a half, and Howard decided to use it to interrogate him about his relationship with Penny, which was very predictable. Leonard and Raj had remained silent the entire time, while Alex lashed out on Howard. Not that he didn't deserve it.

"He can ignore you if he wants, Howard." Alex hissed, she wouldn't be surprised if she, one day, assists in murdering the annoying little engineer. She understood why her boss had refused to speak, Howard's most used phrase in the past half hour was Penny's a devil, and even she wouldn't respond to that. "Ignore her," Howard said, continuing his argument, "look the point is, stay away from her. She's no good! And don't you give me that look- there's something going on between you two! Don't deny it, we all know about what happened during the Picobus party."

"What happened at that party was the result of alcohol intake," Sheldon explained, furrowing his eyebrows at him, "we were both inebriated, and it was a mistake that will never happen again. I should also remind you that 'peeking' isn't appreciated anywhere, Howard." Alex nodded in agreement, "I never took you as a voyeur." Howard turned to her, eyes widening, "I wasn't turned on by that! Maybe if it was Penny and someone else... But it was with  _Sheldon_! It burned my eyes!"

"And yet you always seem to bring it up," Leonard remarked, causing Raj to chuckle. "Yeah, dude, if we hadn't known better, we'd think that you actually enjoyed it!"

"I did not enjoy it!" Howard snapped, "there was a plan and stick to it! If the two of you don't, this," he brought his cast enclosed arm up, slightly wiggling it at them, "will happen to you too! We're all lucky that this is my  _left_  hand! Had it been my right, the Picobus Drogue would be stuck in development hell!" Sheldon frowned at Howard's injured arm, regardless of how he annoyed him at the moment, he had no desire to see him get hurt. Apparently, after Penny and Howard's encounter, Penny decided to target Howard. Not target like making him her dog, or get him fired, target as in making his life a living hell. Within a short span of a day and a half, Penny had manage to destroy his entire presentation, ruin his lunch, and had managed to break his arm, hence the heavy plastered cast currently wrapped around Howard's arm. According to the employees who were present when it happened, Penny tripped Howard, making him fall and land on his arm.

Sheldon secretly thanked his mother's god, had it been his right arm, Howard would be right; the Drogue would be doomed. Only Howard could build the hardware chip he designed, which was only 50% done. He had to have a word with Penny, due to her irrational logic, the production of the Picobus Drogue would be delayed until the cast is removed, which was a week later.

"Dude," Raj took a sip of his beer, regardless of the fact that he was friends with Alex, he still couldn't talk in her presence. "That  _won't_  happen to me, okay? I'm the head of the research department head, and I'm the one who suggested to use that new, cheap yet superb material the Blossoms brand uses! She isn't gonna get rid of me." The Indian man proudly smiled as his best friend frowned at him. it was true, he was the one who discovered a material for the clothing line that was cheap but was great quality. He had gained a Penbark award of excellence for it, too. Leonard leaned towards Alex, whispering, "why is that he gets cockier and cockier each time he drinks?"

Howard scoffed, "please, Penny doesn't even know your name! And it wasn't just you who worked on that. Ah, forget about you, you traitor!" He turned to Leonard, "I still have you on my side, right Leonard? If we don't stop the chains of Medusa aka ice princess aka Penny from reeling Sheldon in, we'll have failed the company- even the world! We're not afraid of any of her threats, right Leonard?" Leonard sheepishly looked down, furrowing his eyebrows, "about that... I, I'm not really up to her level."

"Well yeah, of course, she's about one or two inches taller than you. You're really not on her level." Leonard frowned at Howard before sighing, "look, she's been threatening me, okay? She hasn't hurt me, and I don't have proof that it's her, but I've gotten mysterious messages from someone. I know it's her, I'm not scared that she hurt me, I've had bullies in the past- I just don't want to lose my job."

Sheldon frowned, Penny had been threatening him too? But what for? Leonard didn't have anything to do with this, it was purely Howard. Was Penny already a step forward and decided to scare Leonard as well? What if she goes after Raj and Alex as well? He really needed to talk to her. "What kind of messages have you been receiving?"

Leonard shifted his glasses, obviously uncomfortable with the topic. "Some were about ruining my records, getting me fired... one about making me feel what hell really is. I-I'm still not a hundred percent sure it's Penny, but I do have a feeling since she's been glaring at me every time we see each other. She usually ignores me when we pass by each other..." Howard slammed his uninjured hand on the table again, abruptly sitting up, "it's Penny! I know it's Penny! Do you see that Sheldon, your relationship with Penny is ruining us!"

"I think you're crazy, Howard," Alex commented, calmly placing a fry in her mouth. "That's rich coming from you, Alex. We all know who destroyed your computer, and hired someone to get you mobbed, don't you?" Sheldon turned his head towards the person beside him, "you were... mobbed?" Alex gingerly shook her head, lowering her gaze to her meal. "It was just some robber, okay? How could you honestly blame that on Penny!"

"I know it was her, Alex! How can you be robbed in broad daylight? They didn't even hurt you- they just threatened you, they didn't even take your bag! What kind of mobber would do that, tell me?" Howard argued, he knew the truth, it was Penny. He didn't need evidence, it was obvious. Why Alex was still defending Penny, he didn't know, but what he did know was that he gotta stop this. He did have a plan, but he wasn't sure if it was gonna work. He didn't know what he needs to do to stop Penny from threatening them, but he was gonna find out, soon,

"Alex, is that true?" Sheldon asked, still shocked at the revelations he had just heard. He couldn't believe what he had just learned, he didn't want  _any_  of his friends to get hurt. Why was Penny even doing this?

Alex took a deep breath, meeting Leonard and Raj's sympathetic looks. "Y-yes, but I doubt that it's Ms. Penny's doing! Howard here is just overreacting, Mr. Cooper, pay no mind to him." Howard haughtily scoffed, crossing his arms. "Oh stop covering up for her. You see, Sheldon? Penny is ruining our friends' lives! Are you really gonna wait for Penny to strike on Raj, too?"

"Howard, stop it." Alex commanded.

"Are we your friends not more important than some woman who is just manipulating you?"

"Howard, please stop!" Leonard whined, glancing at Sheldon who's face was now twitching. Sheldon had once told him that he wasn't comfortable with fighting and people yelling, it made him remember the dark days of his childhood.

"Stay out of this, Leonard! Huh, Sheldon, answer me! I already broke an arm, Alex was mobbed, who knows whats in store for Raj and Leonard? Are you really just gonna sit back and let us, your supposed friends, get hurt or worse- killed?!" The engineer seethed, he was so mad. He hated how Penny could easily make them weak with a snap of a finger. She could even get them killed, if she really wanted to. He loathed how they couldn't get Sheldon to open his eyes to the truth, that she was only going to get him fired in the end. He hated how he couldn't do anything to help his friend.

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows before standing up. He pulled his wallet out, placing a twenty on the table and looking at Howard straight in the eye. "Thank you for the meeting gentlemen, and Alex. It seems we have reached an impasse, and I shall deeply consider your propositions. That is my share of the tab, I must go for I have a meeting." He gave them a curt nod, "I'll see you at the office." With a grim look, he turned around and headed for the exit.

Raj turned to Howard, glaring at him, "good going, Howard, you're practically the douche of the century."

* * *

"So Bailey pours the vinegar and- BOOM! It explodes and the lava flies at the face of the judges, then you see Sheldon twitching and furious, and they argue like crazy!" Gregg guffawed while Bailey pinched the bridge of her nose in irritation. "Look, I got the measurements wrong, I know. Didn't I already get the lecture of a lifetime from Sheldon because of it?"

Penny laughed lightly as she ate her lunch along with the two friends. It had been an hour and a half since she met the two, and they were now amusing her with childhood stories of Sheldon. She didn't know that Sheldon had wanted to be a physicist, and was actually supposed to go to college at the age of eleven. Regardless of the extensive background check she got, there was still a lot she didn't know about him. Like the fact that he loved trains, and that his Meemaw called him Moonpie. She wondered if Sheldon would ever tell her about those things, had not she heard it from the two.

"So you were his classmate and science partner every year since the fourth grade?" Penny inquired as she cut her grilled chicken into strips. The dark haired woman nodded, "unfortunately, yes. The administrations somehow found it a sick cruel joke to put us in the same classes until we graduated," she glared at Gregg, "I also have an odd feeling that Gregg here had something to do with it." The flamboyant man chuckled, playfully waving his fork at his friend, "maybe, maybe not, as school president, I had my connections. Plus, practically everyone loved the idea of Sheldon having at least a friend to do everything with."

"Do you mean, a person who will suffer with him so everyone else doesn't?"

"Maybe, but why are you denying it?" Gregg smirked, leaning towards Bailey, "didn't you have a crush on him in the eight grade?" The blonde raised an eyebrow, "wait, Bailey, you had a crush on  _Sheldon_?" Bailey growled, hitting Gregg, who was making a kiss face, on the arm. "Alright, I did, I thought he was cute and Gregg could you please cut that ou-"

"Penny, I need to talk to you-"

The three turned towards the door, surprised at the sudden visitor who stared at the two people on the couch. He had the urge to tell him to stay away from the couch as it was *the couch he and Penny had coitus on, but he thought it was unnecessary. He stepped forward, crossing his arms over his chest, "Gregg, Bailey, it's nice to see the both of you."

Gregg leapt from the couch, wrapping his arms around Sheldon, "Sheldon, you jerk! Why didn't you call, mail, email, text, or write to us? Why the hell did you vanish from the face of the earth?" He stepped back, placing his hands on his hips as he gestured for Bailey to come over. "I was busy with work," Sheldon replied as Bailey stood beside Gregg, "I see you've met, Penny." The blonde blinked at him, still curious about what Gregg was talking about. She watched as Sheldon glanced at Bailey, giving her a small smile, "how is your cat, Zazzles?"

Bailey shrugged, "still zazzy, I guess. We're having lunch," she pointed to the coffee table, "do you want some?" Gregg gasped, walking over to Sheldon and dragging him to the couch, which he rejected and moved to one of the chairs in front of Penny's desk. "Bailey Mckenzie! Is that how you treat your first love who you haven't seen in two years?!" Bailey's face reddened as she made her way back to the couch, "What? Do you honestly need to bring that up? Geez, Gregg that's all in the past, move on!" Gregg laughed, "I love how flustered you get whenever I bring that up!"

Sheldon glanced at Penny's table, then grabbed a folder on top of her organizer. "Is this your second quarter report?" He opened the folder, skimming through the files, he'd talk to Penny later. Penny frowned, "uh yes it is. Hey, Gregg, whats that story you were telling?" Gregg face lit up, he loved telling stories and embarrassing his friends, he lived for them. "So it was in the eighth grade, and Bailey told me that Sheldon hit puberty, kind of, then I knew- she had a crush on him!"

"Okay, story's over!" Bailey snapped, sending Gregg a deadly look. Gregg waved his hand at her, "shh, we're almost at the best part! Then in came Valentines day and Bailey got Sheldon here some chocolates, do you remember that, Sheldon?" He nodded, closing the folder and placing it inside his messenger bag, "of course, I remember what my mother made me for my first day of pre-school, and the day Bailey ruined our science fair entry. Bailey had given me homemade chocolate, which her mother had helped in making, that was an array of mint chocolates and chocolates with peanuts." He turned to Penny, smiling happily, "they were very good, Bailey's mother is one of the best cooks in the world! Along with my mother and grandmother of course."

Gregg happily clapped his hands, "yes, I tasted some too! So, she gives him to Sheldon, who whines about how gift giving is a burden. Bailey gets mad, then kisses him! But that's not it, what puts the icing on the cake is when Sheldon stared at her for a few seconds before grabbing his disinfectant wipes and rubbed his mouth repeatedly until he got home!" He burst out laughing, causing Bailey to growl and shove him in anger. "I told you never to bring that up, Gregg!"

"I'm sorry it's just so funny, that I can handle  _not_  telling that part! You're first love, breaking your heart," Gregg slightly calmed down, turning to Bailey, "but come on, nothing is as bad as what happened with Sheldon and the CEO's wi-" Bailey quickly clapped a hand over Gregg's mouth, silencing him as she glanced at Sheldon, who was clenching his teeth. "Really, Gregg? Do you have to bring that up? It wasn't a good time for him, and you really got to remind him that?" Gregg pried his friend's hand off his mouth, "but didn't you say that it's the past? That means we can discuss it now!"

Penny fought the urge not to open her mouth, she thought that that information was confidential, no one but the CEO, her, her spy and Sheldon knew about that. Or maybe he told them about it? She had so many questions about that girl, and now she's found the people who could answer them.

"I'm going to get something from my office," Sheldon announced, standing up and walking towards the door. "I'll return shortly."

"See, what you did, Gregg?" Bailey hissed as Sheldon exited the room. Gregg huffed as he fixed his coat that Bailey had wrinkled. "Sheldon was involved in an affair?" Penny cautiously asked, pretending to not know anything about it.

Bailey turned to Gregg giving him a look of caution, who shook his head, "Bailey, we can trust her, okay?" Gregg turned to Penny, "you see, Sheldon had a high position in Calder. He had a great job, and it was a great company, but then he met  _her_. She was beautiful, young, and the CEO's wife, which meant she was off-limits." Gregg frowned, troubled with the idea, "but she didn't care, she seduced him, and he fell for it. Then that idiot, Sheldon, fell for it." Bailey nodded in agreement, "I even remember Sheldon consulting the two of us if he was sick. All of his symptoms were those of someone head over heels, in love. We tried to make him stop seeing her, she was just this dirty woman who wanted new meat, the CEO wasn't exactly a young man. It cost him his job, and he had broke down, she broke him, you know?"

The light haired man pursed his lips, his eyes downcast.

"Whats sad is that even after everything that he went through, we're pretty sure he still loves her."

* * *

Sheldon groaned as he slipped his towel off and stepped into the shower.

Bailey and Gregg had left a while ago and had made him promise to keep in touch with them. He hadn't meant to ignore them for a year, he was just too busy with the Picobus and being an obedient dog to Penny. He still needed to talk to her about threatening his friends, he didn't want them getting hurt.

He took a deep breath as he turned the shower on, Bailey had accidentally spilled her bottle of wine on him during dinner. They had dinner at the restaurant at the hotel, causing him to take a shower here at Penny's suite. It was a Wednesday, he was supposed to be at home, playing HALO after reading the progress reports. Sadly, he smelled like wine and his upper body was drenched, he didn't want to go home like that. Sheldon grabbed the loofah Penny had bought for him, dousing it with the Star Wars body wash Penny had gotten him. He didn't think that this little piece of sponge was actually very useful in cleaning one's self.

"Do you need help with that?"

Sheldon jumped in surprise dropping the loofah as he turned to see Penny standing in the doorway clad in a robe. He quickly covered his front area and turned around, why was Penny inside the bathroom and how did she get in? It was nine thirty, his bath time, she shouldn't be inside!

"Penny, what in the heavens are you doing in here?" He shrieked, his back still turned to her.

Penny smirked, moving to the sink and grabbing her toothbrush, "I was going to brush my teeth." She squirted the toothpaste on her toothbrush, placed it inside her mouth and took a seat on top of the counter. "I agree with your Meemaw, your tushy  _is_  nummy, nummy." She loved talking to Gregg and Bailey about Sheldon, she had learned so much about him during dinner that it had felt like she had known him for years. She planned on calling them to hangout again soon, since they only lived about ten to twenty minutes away, depending on the traffic.

"Please stop ogling me, Penny, it makes me uncomfortable." He admitted as he shifted inside the shower. He wanted to turn the shower off, but it would make him cold, but what he was doing was wasting water. However, he couldn't do anything as Penny was inside, staring at him through the glass walls.

"I'm not ogling you, I'm  _admiring_  my wonderful view," she said with her toothbrush in her mouth.

"Well, please hurry it up as I must finish my bath and go home. We have work tomorrow, and you know that this is my bath time!"

Penny scrubbed her teeth a few more times before spitting in the sink, "Sheldon it's a  _Wednesday_ , you don't have a schedule for today." She rinsed her mouth with mouthwash before placing her toothbrush in it's proper place then turned to face him. "Which means, that this could be  _my_  bath time too." She shrugged her bathrobe off, revealing that she had nothing underneath, and placed it on a rack beside the shower. "I'm itching for a bath, you know?" She pulled the shower door open, stepping in and standing behind Sheldon.

"Penny, please get out, this is my shower time, not yours!" He begged, glancing over his shoulder to see her then quickly returning his gaze towards the wall.

She stepped underneath the water, moaning at it's warmth. "God, you should learn to relax, Sheldon. I'm just taking a shower okay? It's not my fault you're having a different opinion on this." She grabbed her loofah from the rack in front of Sheldon, accidentally brushing her arm against his shoulder. "Come on, I don't even get why you're embarrassed, Sheldon. I've seen  _and_  felt your little friend so many times before that I can pretty much tell it apart if I ever see another one." Penny remarked as she rubbed soap on her bath sponge, she really didn't see why he was acting so shy. Just two days ago she had seen him fully naked as she dripped wax on him, what was the difference of this and that?

"Oh please don't tell me you  _are_ planning on having coitus with other men."

Penny cocked an eyebrow, "why, are you  _jealous_?"

"No, I just don't want any chances of getting a sexually transmitted disease." Sheldon frowned, slowly turning around to stand beside her. He turned to her, "also, keep your hands to your self, I am merely taking a bath." Penny turned to him, smiling, "of course, I just wanna take a bath. I think you look nice all wet and naked." He nodded as he rubbed the loofah on his neck, "if that was sarcasm, then yes, you look very aesthetically pleasing under the warm sprays of the shower." She giggled as she rubbed her upper arm, "real charming, Sheldon, and no, that wasn't sarcasm. It's nice to see you wet for once." She mentally laughed at her innuendo and the fact that Sheldon didn't get it.

Penny stuck her tongue out as she tried to reach the middle of her back. She always had a hard time reaching it, and it always made her furious. Sheldon raise an eyebrow as he saw her struggle, "do you want me to help you?" Penny turned to him, a slight blush creeping on her cheeks, "uh, sure, I've always had trouble reaching that part." She handed him the sponge and moved in front of him. "Aren't you an athletic person? You should be able to reach his part," Sheldon commented as he scrubbed her back. Penny tightly closed her eyes, resisting the urge to moan at his actions. She silently cursed her libido for being so active, if it wasn't, she wouldn't be having a problem with showering with Sheldon. He handed her the sponge once he was done scrubbing her back, then moved to her side to continue bathing.

She glanced at him scrubbing her arms and decided to change the topic, this wasnt helping to her desire to slam him against the wall. God, she was the man in this, whatever you call it. "So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Sheldon stopped scrubbing and turned to face her, a serious look on his face. "Penny, why have you been threatening my friends?" Her eyes lowered to his organ then back to his blue eyes, "that's easy, it's cause they're interfering. They shouldn't meddle with someone else's business, Sheldon. Make them stop, and I will." He frowned at her, his hand tightly clenching the loofah. "Penny, Leonard and especially Alex had nothing to do with this! Leonard isn't even doing anything, and Alex has even been defending you from Howard. Please don't hurt my friends, Penny."

"Sure, Alex." She furrowed her eyebrows then rolled her eyes, "fine, I won't do anything to them and that Indian guy... I think his name was Rag?" Sheldon shook his head, "it's Raj."

"Yes, him, but I can't promise the same with that annoying engineer," she warned.

"Please don't do anything extensive to him," he added, "I need to finish the Drogue first, then you can do something. But please do not hurt Koothrapalli and Leonard, and especially, Alex. It's hard to find outstanding assistants these days."

She frowned, "do you like her, Alex?" She hated herself for caring and she hated how such a little thing made her want to scream as loud as she can. She hated how such a simple mention of her name made her jealous enough to plan the girl's funeral. Why was she becoming such a sap, she should've stopped when she could. She should've gone with the original plan... now it was too late to proceed with that. She finally acknowledged that she  _did_  have feelings for Sheldon, and that it would be the death of her.

The tall man blinked, contemplating his answer, "of course! She's my secretary, I'm supposed to like her. Although, she is a brilliant secretary which is also a strong reason why to like her." He replied, smiling down at Penny, "and she's great at paintball! We brought her along to a game last week and she was fantastic! She's now a secured member of the C-men."

Penny stared at him, irritatedly, before turning to the shower and continuing her bath. How did she even fall in love with this idiot? She rinsed the loofah off, placed it back on the rack and took her shampoo, squirting it into her hair before returning it back to the rack. She had suddenly grown annoyed with the man who was currently scrubbing down his legs.

_"Whats sad is that even after everything that he went through, we're pretty sure he still loves her."_

She stopped rubbing her hair and bit her lip at what Gregg had said. What if he did still love Mrs. Harrington, then she was now a member of the unrequited love community. If that was true, then she had to end this, this was a one sided love, she was sure. Sheldon didn't have feelings for her, and he never would, he saw her as this... heartless wench, like his friends did. She really didn't want to be like this, if  _that_  didn't happen, maybe she would've been some bubbly, happy girl. Now, because of that incident, she became cold, and the one person she truly loved barely saw her as anything other than this tyrant.

"Penny, are you alright?" The blonde opened her eyes, she hadn't realized that she was already crying. When did she even start crying?

She turned to him, his face evident of concern, and pulled him down for a passionate kiss. He placed both of his hands on her shoulders, trying to push her away, "P-Penny, didn't you say that we were just going to take a shower- this defies the rulebook!" Penny stepped back, her eyebrows furrowed. "You did this to me."

"What?" Sheldon confusedly asked her.

"I-I," she looked down, deciding whether or not she was going through with this. With a huff, she met his gaze, "I love you, okay? I'm so in love with you that I've even resorted to threatening your little friends just so they won't stop you from being with me! I love you so much that even I don't understand why this is happening to me!" Penny cried, trying to wipe away her tears but she had forgotten that the shower was still on.

_"I love you, Sheldon, run away with me. We can be happy together, I promise!"_

Sheldon stared at her silently, memories of  _her_  flashing back. He was never good at these kind of things, and never understood what the protocol was. He was never 'sure' if he had loved someone other than his family. Did he love Penny? He didn't know. He did enjoy her being in his presence, and spending time with her, that isn't coitus. He truly missed her when they avoided each other, and she had become a significant person in his life.

But did he  _love_  her?

Penny watched his mouth open and close, then she shook her head. "You know what, forget I said anything. Finish your shower and go home, Sheldon. I'll call you when I want to see you." She hurriedly said as she exited the shower, grabbing her robe and walking out of the bathroom then her room. She ran out to her terrace and collapsed on one of the chairs. She was such an idiot, she really was. She shouldn't have told him that, she shouldn't have dragged him into this, she shouldn't even have hired him. Maybe this was karma for every bad thing she ever did- to be rejected by the person who suddenly became her whole world.

She cried hard that night, so hard that she fell asleep.

She didn't even notice when Sheldon draped a blanket over her sleeping form and left.


	11. Change of Flavor

"So, let me get this straight, you're having an explicit affair with your company's new vice president, and you've fallen in love with him? I'm puzzled that it took a year for you to tell me about this... Is he tall, muscular and have a set of perfect white teeth?"

Penny creased her eyebrows as she took a sip of coffee, "It's not an affair, okay? We're both single and we don't have any type of relationship going on. Oh, and no, he isn't muscular, but he does have nice teeth."

"Isn't that a bit different from your normal taste of men? I remember your ex, Collin, he had well maintained hair, and teeth worthy of a crest commercial. Whats the sudden change of flavor, Penny?"

"Honestly, Amy, do you really have to put it that way? He's not muscular, but he is tall, has beautiful blue eyes, is  _really_  smart, even smarter than you," Penny tapped a finger on her chin, evaluating Sheldon's good features. "He has this cute smile that he never shows anyone, and this odd innocence that I find so attractive, and his fingers- oh god, they're so long and-"

The brunette cocked an eyebrow at her, placing her pen and clipboard down. "I'm afraid I have to cut it there. As much as I'd like to hear more of your sexual exploits with your new mysterious lover, I would much rather scrutinize the compelling mind of my bestie." Her best friend blinked, confused on what she said, "I wanna know how you feel and think about this. I've only heard you say that you have fallen for someone twice, this being the second time. How are you so sure that you have fallen for him, Penny?"

Penny sighed, that was something she continuously asked herself since she realized that she loved him. She had avoided him for two weeks now, she ignored his texts, ordered Fred, the hotel manager, to ban him from the hotel and had informed the board that she wouldn't be attending meetings for the time being. She couldn't stand to see him and remember the look he had on his face- the look that caused her heart to break over a million times within a second. She hated acting like this, she hated avoiding him, she hated missing him, she hated  _loving_  him. It would have all worked out if she hadn't told her father that she could attend the annual board advisers symposium. Everyone was going, which meant that Sheldon was too.

With that realization, she decided to consult her neuroscientist best friend, Amy Farrah Fowler.

"I- I don't know, Ames. You know what went down with that so called love of mine, I don't even consider it as love anymore. It's just that, I miss him, and whenever I see him, I have to resist the urge to cry. It's been two weeks since I've last talked to him, and I'm missing him so much that I wanna scream!" Amy nodded, writing what she had said on her clipboard. "I see, but wouldn't you consider this as separation anxiety? For nearly a year you have spent every waking day with him, and have grown so attached that you can't bear the thought of being apart?" The brunette frowned, "though, that can be considered as what they call, head over heels in love. Fascinating, bestie, you have proven to me that separation from a loved one does make one's heart suffer!"

"Didn't you grieve when your grandmother died?" The blonde asked, leaning back onto the chair she was sitting in. "Of course I did! However, I have inherited her entire wardrobe thus I feel like she accompanies me everywhere!" Amy pointed to her sweater, "this entire outfit is hers, but my leopard spotted underwear is a secret I share with Victoria!" Penny mentally cringed as she imagined her best friend since high school parading her "secret" underwear. "Yes, enough of all this talk about clothes, or else I might be forced to attend the proposition meeting later."

"You're not attending meetings?" Amy asked, stirring her spoon inside her cup of tea. "Wouldn't your father get mad? I remember him being strict even with your shooting lessons." Penny nodded, "well, Sheldon's the vice president, he's bound to show up there. He has never missed a day at work, I swear. I told my dad that I had other things to attend to, much more important things." The neuroscientist raised her cup to her lips, "which are?"

"Avoiding Sheldon, and thinking of a way to fix this mess I got myself in." She happily said, grabbing Amy's clipboard. "I highly doubt that those are much more important things. If you 'miss' him, why are you avoiding him like the plague? I still have yet to understand the function of avoiding him when all it does is give you heartache." Amy crossed her legs, placing her hands on her knees, "is it because you fear that he will, again, reject your feelings if you have any sort of encounter?"

Penny scowled at her, "n-no! It's not that, I swear! I already know that he won't say it back..." She looked down at her coffee cup, "he's still in love with this, girl he met, and even after a year he still loves her. I've seen pictures of the girl and she's gorgeous. I'm avoiding him cause I don't want it to be awkward between us, not when he's already warmed up to me."

Amy's mouth quirked upwards as she leaned towards her friend, "well, look at that! My bestie, is jealous and insecure! In all my years of knowing you I have never even smelled insecurity coming off from you!" The brunette clapped her hands happily and quickly jotted down the new information, "but bestie, you're drop dead gorgeous! Is it possible for someone to be even slightly more beautiful than you? If there is, do you currently have a picture of her?" Penny groaned, crossing her arms and fixing her posture, "No, I don't have a picture, but she's really pretty. Amy, I came here for you to help me with my problem. So far, all we have is that I love him, and that there's a person who may be prettier than me. What are we gonna do now?"

The neuroscientist placed her clipboard down and leaned forward, smiling at her. "What we're gonna do now, bestie, is arrange for  _me_  to join your trip for further observations."

* * *

"Napa Valley is so beautiful at nine in the morning!" Raj chirped as he exited the bus, stretching his arms as he looked around the receiving entrance of the hotel. Leonard frowned, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag. "How can you be so cheerful? Oh wait, maybe it's the alcohol talking."

The Indian man turned to him, an annoyed scowl appearing on his face. "For your information I didn't drink any alcohol!" His expression softened as Sheldon and Howard appeared from the vehicle, " _but_  I would have if Sheldon had gone through with his plan of bringing Alex along."

Howard snickered, "and thank god he didn't bring that back stabber. Now I can properly talk to you guys about target lion!"

"Target lion?" Leonard asked while moving away from the entrance of the bus. "Who's that?"

"It's she who shall not be named," Howard answered, realizing that Sheldon hadn't been listening, "hey, this discussion includes you too!" The executive blinked, tearing his attention from his phone to the short engineer. "This is a symposium for the various departmental heads of the Penbark group," he started, raising his eyebrow, "why are you here?"

Howard grumbled as Raj and Leonard chuckled behind him, "I'm the  _head_  engineer of this company and I was invited, too!" He shook his head, irritated at the fact that he was the only one who wasn't a department head. "And it's rude to change subjects! We are currently facing something bigger than this bus!"

"You're overreacting, Howard," Leonard commented, patting a hand on Howard's shoulder before pointing towards the lobby. "Everyone's heading there, come on."

The engineer frowned, picking up his bag and following after his friends. "You guys really shouldn't just ignore this!"

"We're not ignoring it, we're ignoring  _you_ ," Sheldon clarified.

"Oh sure, ignore me, the only one who's actually sane in this group!" Howard groused in irritation. He just couldn't understand why they didn't care about this matter. It's not like this was for him, it was for Sheldon... and maybe him once he crushes Penny down to the ground. He sighed once he realized that Sheldon had ended the conversation and looked around. He was shocked to see someone beside Penny. He knew most of the departmental heads from Penbark, but he wasn't too familiar with the heads from the other companies. He  _definitely_  did not know who she was, which meant that she was Penny's back up.

"Hey Raj," the engineer said, stepping closer to his best friend, "you're kind of the creepy stalker-ish type, who's that girl with the ice princess?"

Raj quickly looked around, trying to spot where Penny was, then narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure, I've never seen her at the office or at any of the company symposiums. I don't think she's new, there would have been some kind of introductory if she was. Maybe she's a friend?"

A friend, so he  _was_  right, she's Penny's back up. He briefly wondered if Penny had something planned, then he realized that she always has something planned. He needed to keep guard over his friends, or else Penny might strike. However, this was a pro-Penny zone, since Penbark was a partner of this hotel. He needed to thread lightly, and quickly, like a ninja.

He turned to Sheldon, who had some kind of, troubled look on his face. He had to show him that Penny wasn't as nice as he thought she was.

* * *

"I enjoyed that vineyard trip," Amy remarked to her best friend who sat opposite her in the booth. "Even though it had absolutely nothing to do with this symposium."

Penny called on a waiter and ordered them drinks, "oh, dad just really likes showing off. We go here pretty much every year, nothing really changes."

"So, whats next in the company itinerary? We do have three days and two nights of relaxation and snooping around!" The neurobiologist announced happily as the drinks came. "I know I promised to help you with this lover situation, but I must admit, a spa day with my bestie really is a one time experience!"

The blonde took a sip of her drink, she didn't want to get too drunk for the board meeting. There was only one meeting for the trip, and it was held on the first day, then they were free to do whatever they want. Usually on the second night, the departmental heads from the other companies organize a party for all of them. Now that, was something she was looking forward to. "We can go to the spa early tomorrow, what I need now," she placed her glass on the table, "is a plan."

Amy grinned, "it's fairly simple, bestie. During your meeting, or somewhere during this night, I shall find him and befriend him. Then tomorrow, during the party, I shall invite him, intoxicate him and dish out details from him. Once I'm done with him, I'll lead him to you and let you do the rest."

Penny hoped that it would work, she really did. A part of her wanted to just forget about him completely. They didn't necessarily have to interact at work, she could always get her assistant to hand him the reports. She didn't have to talk to him during meetings, they barely even sat at the same end of the conference table. She could always get a new pet, it wasn't that hard, there were always several men wanting to be at her beck and call. Maybe she could even get a boyfriend or something like that it wasn't impossible. If she out her mind into it, she could really life without him.

But she couldn't, it was hard to admit but, she really couldn't.

Sheldon had become such a vital part of her life that she could barely imagine him gone forever. Everywhere she went, there was some memory of him with her there. At her office, she could perfectly remember the day that he became her dog. The elevator at work and at the hotel that they've share so many trips on. Her apartment- which was the worst of all- every corner haunted her of his presence. The way he reprimanded her on their breakfast schedule; the exact spot where he always sat, her bedroom which had already become his, the bathroom where he had added his Star Wars products. All of them blamed her on why they were lonely.

She blamed herself on why she felt so lonely.

"How exactly will that fix everything?" Penny asked grimly, she tried not to be to pessimistic.

"It will," Amy reassured her. It wasn't as reassuring as she probably thought it would be. "Hey, aren't you supposed to go the meeting?" Penny checked her watched then widened her eyes, "oh crap, I totally forgot!" She stood up, grabbing her purse and handing her a piece of paper with her signature on it. "Just leave that there, and they'll know what it means."

"Bestie," Amy said, "don't worry, our plan will work, and we'll get you and Zack back together. I heard from Stacy that he'd be here taking a vacation."

Penny raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to see nor talk to her ex-boyfriend Zack, which meant that Amy was using him as a codename. She should have thought of that with that sneaky engineer present here. "Yeah, I know we've had some rough times, and even if he cheated on me, I think he deserves another chance. I cheated him on too, and that makes me equally as bad." She lied, but she knew that Amy was up to something and went along. "I'll talk to you later, Ames." Amy grinned as she watched her best friend leave.

"I know you're there, I could hear you whispering." She turned around and leaned over the booth divider, frowning down at the man crouching behind it.

"Pretty sharp hearing skills," he commented as he sat up straight.

Howard turned his phone's voice recorder off and returned the frown that the woman sent her. "You're planning something on Sheldon, aren't you?" He accused.

The brunette gave him her best truth face, "I'm not sure who this Sheldon is, but Penny  _has_  mentioned him. If you are as curious as you seem, Penny cheated on Zack with Sheldon, it had been a one night stand." She said in a monotone, she was great at doing it. "They broke up because of it, and now she wants to apologize to Zack. Zack is also a member here, and I had tipped him off that Penny was here."

The engineer narrowed his eyes at her, there was something  _very_  suspicious about her. He couldn't tell what, but she seemed dead serious. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

Amy crossed her arms, "because Penny has mentioned you as well. Something about one of the employees thinking that she's out to 'target' this Sheldon even though they are merely colleagues. My bestie isn't too pleased with you and your accusations. I know everything."

"If you really know everything then you should know that your  _bestie_  targets all of the vice presidents," he sneered. "It wouldn't be surprising that she would target Sheldon next."

She scoffed, knowing where to go with this. "Please, that friend of yours was a mere mistake and Penny has chosen to forget about it. She cares deeply about Zack and will not lower her level to  _some_  guy."

"That's my friend you're talking about!" Howard growled.

Amy leveled her tone with his, "and that's  _my_  friend you're talking about." She placed the piece of paper on the table and stood up. "You're not too different to what you accuse my friend to be. You're trying to control that friend of yours, just because you think you're right. And once you prove your accusations, which are a hundred percent false, you'd throw your friend away. It's really not different," she took one last sip of her drink then picked up her purse, "good day."

Howard angrily squeezed his phone, he was  _nothing_  like her. She was a monster, and he was just protecting his friend. Sure, they weren't best friends, but in the end they were friends, and he valued his friendship no matter how many times he insulted him. But he didn't want to be a fool, there was a possibility that they really  _were_  talking about that ex of hers. He didn't know and that made him angry.

Maybe it would be better if he let this entire situation go.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't our favorite little sister and her best friend?"

Penny winced, she knew that voice anywhere. She and Amy were currently having breakfast at the resort's main restaurant. There weren't a lot of important things that happened during the meeting, it was mostly about how stocks were doing and the potential products they were going to release.

She and Sheldon didn't interact at all, if you were wondering. She was too busy playing on her phone.

"Isn't it too early to be annoying?" She asked as her bolder brother and sister sat beside her and Amy.

Her older brother, Mark, managed the Penbark transportation division. He handled the airways, cruise lines and automobile company stocks. He looked like a younger version of their father, a bit tired, though, due to his episode with drugs. "I'm a bit sad that I didn't even noticed you at last night's meeting, you were to occupied with doodle jump." He chuckled while calling a waiter for their order.

Their older sister, Barbara, managed the real estate and hotels division of the company. This resort was under her care, and so was the hotel she lived in. Barbara was married to one of their business associates' son, they were some sort of business couple that she never wanted to be like. She also saw her sister more since she was always at their building complaining about how she can't raise her children by herself. She also kept stealing Henry, their butler, from them just so he could fetch her children from school.

"Oh Mark, stop it," their sister said, her face emotionless as ever. Her sister only used three expressions; serious, mad and whiny. She wondered if she'd turn into her if she ever married and had kids. Their mom was never as bland as her. "But he's right, we barely felt that you were there. You should have spoken up when one of the employees talked about cheapening production." She took the spare fork on the table and cut herself a piece of egg. "That would hurt that little clothing line of yours."

Penny sighed, she'd rather deal with Sheldon than deal with her siblings terrorizing her hobby. Mark didn't care much, but Barbara absolutely hated the clothing line idea. She was even the one who protested about it. Barbara, and Mark, also knew about her 'pet' activities. She was just happy that they never told their mom and dad. Neither of them were happy that Penny was toying around with employees; they wanted her to marry someone from the business world, and manage more little businesses. She really didn't want  _any_  of that. She wanted to be the princess who was rescued by the prince and live happily ever after- but that was only meant for fairytales, not reality.

"My clothing line is fine," the younger sibling grumbled, stabbing her fork on her toast. "We already found cheap yet fine materials for our clothes, thank you very much."

The waiter arrived and brought the twos orders. "So, is that dominatrix thing of yours still going on?" Mark asked, spreading cream on his bagel. "We respect your fetishes, but you gotta settle down soon. Plus, it's not nice to get so many employees fired." Penny glared at Amy who was chuckling, if she said even one word about Sheldon, she would beat her with a bag of oranges. The older blonde deeply frowned, "you're twenty three, Penny, you should at least have a stable boyfriend by now."

"Okay, first of all, it  _isn't_  a fetish!" Penny hissed, "and I am not a dominatrix, I do not use whips or chains or something like that!"

"So, you're a sadist?" Her brother asked.

"No, absolutely not! Why would you even think that I am?" She gave Amy a light kick, which meant,  **DO NOT SPEAK**.

"Well," Mark drawled, "aren't you doing all of this cause of that incident in the past? And aren't they suffering because of you? You order them around, use them for sex, then get them fired at the worst situation possible. It's amazing how dad hasn't noticed the pattern."

Barbara nodded, much to Penny's annoyance, "that's right, that's frowned upon by today's society, Penelope."

"I'm not doing anything wrong, okay?" She was already getting a headache by just talking to them. "And besides, I don't have any new pets. I'm just trying to, uh, go with the flow." She noticed Amy grin then quickly frown and then nodded. Where was a bag of oranges when you needed one?

Her older sister crossed her arms, "really? I met the new vice president last night, he was rather good looking and seemed very intelligent. Dad seems to like him a lot."

"Now now, Barbara, don't tell me you're planning on cheating on Hank with him," Mark teased, "oh wait, aren't you getting divorced?" Barbara quickly leaned on the table and hit her brother with her bag. "Aren't you the insensitive jerk? I did not, and am not, cheating on Hank,  _he_  was the one who cheated on  _me_." She sent her brother a menacing look, "watch your words, you brat, or I'll accidentally shoot you too."

"Look, this is a really fun bonding moment, but me and Amy really have to go-" Just as Penny stood up, Barbara reached for her arm and pulled her back down. She forgot that she wasn't the only one who was great at Junior Rodeo.

"We haven't gotten to the point yet," Mark said, intertwining his fingers on the table.

"And what exactly is that point?" Penny asked, she just really wanted to go.

"The point is that," Barbara started, "we called on your ex-boyfriend to come here and rekindle things with you."

Amy winced as Penny shot up from her seat, " **YOU DID WHAT**?"

"Calm down, calm down," Mark said, trying to get his sister to sit down, "before you get all Godzilla and stuff, you have to know that he really is sorry, and wants to get back together with you. I saw him at the Golf Club and he looked great, then he asked how you were doing, and he's still single. I'm sure that he's serious on earning your trust back."

Barbara nodded, why did she have to keep agreeing to their idiot brother's plans? "Zack would be a great husband. He may not be the smartest of the bunch, but he's handsome, has street smarts, or something and is set to inherit the company from his father," she raised an eyebrow at her little sister. "He's one of the best of all your ex-boyfriends and is actually decent once you forget all his IQ. We invited him to the party tonight, so you  _must_  look your best. It would be wise to strengthen out bond with his company you know."

Penny groaned in frustration and stood up, "for someone who doesn't want to take over the company, you sure do talk about business a lot." She grabbed her bag, then dragged Amy from out of her booth.

"Don't forget about tonight!" Her brother called as they left the restaurant.

"I swear I didn't call Zack like I said before," Amy muttered, once they reached the lobby.

"I know Amy, I know."

She really couldn't believe what was happening to her. She didn't want to get back together with Zack! She wanted to fix things with  _Sheldon_ , who her sister is probably thinking of making her boyfriend! Was this all because Amy used him as an excuse? Is this like that, beetle something that Sheldon made her watch? She needed to get out of this, and fast.

* * *

Sheldon  _loathed_  parties, he really did. Which was why he wondered why he was currently helping Raj prepare the venue for the party, tonight. It had already been an hour and a half since Howard disappeared and Leonard pretended to be sick, leaving him to stay with the "life of the party."

"Sheldon, if you could, please move the table over there." Raj ordered from the other side of the room. With a groan, he went to the said table and dragged it to where Raj stood. He should be at his room, relaxing and playing Age of Conan. The resort  _did_  have free, high speed internet. "Is there anything else you want me to do?"

The Indian man shook his head, happily looking at the function hall. "Nope, this is great. The food will arrive at around five thirty, but I'm sure they can handle that. Are you going to go back to your room and play Age of Conan?"

"It depends," Sheldon hummed, thinking about his plans for the evening, "I plan to take a walk and view the surroundings for a bit, then I'll return to my room. If Wyatt does not badger me into attending the party, you are free to go multiplayer with me."

"Sounds very tempting, but you know that the nightlife calls me." Raj smiled up at his friend, he'd love to play with him, but he had volunteered to organize this party. He wasn't gonna abandon ship. "Are you sure that you don't want to go to the party? It's gonna be pretty off the hook."

"I'll have to decline, there might be a village who needs the help of a brave conqueror." Sheldon nodded then took his exit. Why would he  _want_  to go to a party? What a joke.

He really wasn't going to take a walk, it was just that the room Wyatt had given him was  _so_  far away. There was a shortcut through the garden, but there might have been various insects there waiting to kill him. There was no harm in passing by the main building.

He wondered where Howard went to; he hadn't seem him since last night. Leonard, on the other hand, had a serious asthma attack from the long walk at the vineyards. He sort of felt lonely... who was he kidding, he  _loved_  being alone. His routine consisted of him, and only him. Sure, he enjoyed their HALO night, but he would much rather play online on his laptop,  _alone_. Since the others weren't around; he could eat beef, which Koothrappali strongly tries  _not_  to eat, anything with peanuts, that Wolowitz would choke on, and anything dairy that Leonard couldn't process. He could even eat Thai food at his apartment instead of...

He suddenly felt a depressing feeling that he felt every now and then. Maybe it was due to the change of environment. It was probably that.

"Are you Sheldon Cooper?" He spun around to meet the brunette who was with Penny. "Yes, I am, and who may you be?"

The brunette extended her hand out to me, "Amy, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, nice to meet you." Sheldon stared at her hand, merely nodding in acknowledgement, "I'm not really one for shaking hands."

The woman, Amy, smiled, "me too, but various peers have told me that it is more proper than hitting someone on the buttocks." What an add woman, he mused. "So, what brings you here? You're clearly not an employee at Penbark."

"I am Penny's friend," she answered, waiting for a reaction from him, "she invited me along. It's been a while since we've hung out."

"I see," he simply said, he didn't really care about banal chit chat. This conversation was going absolutely  _nowhere_. He didn't have any interest in wasting his time talking to her, he just wanted to play his game. "If you may excuse me-"

"Wait," Amy interrupted, "the truth is, I feel very left out here. I'm not from the company, so I don't really know anyone. Plus," she adjusted her glasses, "Penny's out somewhere rekindling her romance with her ex-boyfriend. I don't really want to be their third wheel, so I decided to take a walk."

Sheldon blinked, slightly wondering who the ex-boyfriend was. Was it Chris, the VP before him? Or Kurt- the guy from that foul party from before? Were the any ex-boyfriends he knew of? He frowned, he didn't understand why he was concerned. She had cut all ties with him two weeks ago. He tried to talk to her, much to his chagrin, but she had ordered everyone that he not be allowed in her home or office. He still didn't have an answer to their confrontation from before. He was still  _very_  confused by it, he didn't know what the protocol was for that situation!

 _Love_ , it was such an irritating, confusing and tedious thing. He'd probably never understand it, and he never wished to understand it.

"Penny told me that you had once aspired to be a physicist," he heard her say once he snapped out of his thoughts. "I have several friends in the realm of physics, I'm not a physicist but I am a neurobiologist. I study monkey's behaviors to drugs."

Sheldon's face lit up as he turned to her, "oh, that was you! I had once gone on a lecture about the scientific study on monkeys, I never thought that I'd actually meet the person behind it! Your work is remarkable, Dr. Fowler!" The neurobiologist grinned, "I'm very flattered, Mr. Cooper, I'm very dedicated to my work. Do you have any important meetings you are supposed to attend?" He shook his head, "no, yesterday's meeting was the only one. May I ask why you are asking?"

"I need a second person view on this research I'm currently conducting," she answered, gesturing to her bag, "I would have shown a colleague, but we're all busy with our own experiments. I've already lost a great deal of time on this trip, and as much as I'd like to make my bestie think about monkeys, I'd rather get a reaction from someone who has a passion for science. And maybe monkeys."

"I like monkeys," Sheldon said, causing her to smile, "and online games. Perhaps you're a fan of multiplayer roleplaying online games, as well?

The brunette shook her head as they made their way to the resort cafe, "no, not really. I detest such idiotic and childish things." She looked up to see a look of horror on his face, "that can't possibly be true! Do you like trains?"

Penny softly sighed as the two disappeared from her sight. This was all a part of Amy's new plan, and it would work. Amy would lure him to go to the party, get him drunk and then she would do the rest. But somehow, she felt a pang of jealousy and hurt in chest. Sheldon and Amy had numerous things in common- how could she have forgotten? They should have thought this through, what if Sheldon finds an interest in her or vice versa? Sheldon would probably prefer someone intellectual and science-y than some fun, life of the party girl. Plus, Amy wouldn't terrorize him  _that_  much.

No, she shouldn't think like that, that would just force her to go against Amy, her best friend. She just has to trust her on this, then it will be all fixed. And she still had to deal with the Zack thing.

* * *

Sheldon scowled as Amy opened the door, he  _really_  didn't want to go to the party. Three hours after a rather pleasant and fun exchange about science, Amy suggested the idea of going to this party. He had declined at first, then she talked about how much she'd be left out of the party especially since Penny was with her ex. He still declined, but then realized that he had to talk to Raj about Howard.

There was something odd about Howard's disappearance, and had anything critical happened to him- his career may be doomed.

"You're going to have a fun time, Sheldon," Amy said as they entered the venue. She had even gone up to his room and chose his clothes. She chose a shirt that Gregg and Bailey had gotten him, he brought along since he hadn't done laundry. Because of the weekend rule Penny set, he had another set of clothes at her home, and a different set at home. Saturday was laundry night, no exceptions. He also had no time to do laundry before he left because he had to meet with investors. Amy also magically appeared with a stiff, and itchy, suit jacket.

He looked like a clown.

"I highly doubt that, Amy," he answered, making their way to a cocktail table. "Hmm, I moved this table over there, why is it here?" He stared at the table then at the empty space on the other side of the room. If Raj was going to return it to the original setup, why did he even ask him to move it?

"Hey Sheldon, who's this?" It was Leonard, walking towards them with a smile. Sheldon turned to Amy then to Leonard, "Leonard, this is Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, Amy, this is the head of our electronics department, Leonard Hoftstadter."

Leonard happily shook her hand, "it's a pleasure to meet you. You're Penny's friend, right?"

The brunette grinned at him, "we're best friends, besties, BFFs, peas in a pod, sisters who would share traveling pants. We're closer than a nail stuck in a piece of wood." Her smile dropped, and Leonard had the feeling that he should leave. "What of it?"

"N-nothing, I just saw you with her yesterday, and you're not an employee here." Leonard turned to Sheldon, asking for help. "What Leonard means is that," Sheldon pursed his lips, he really didn't know what Leonard meant, "you're Penny's  _friend_ , and that you aren't from around here. Isn't that right, Leonard?" The shorter man sighed, there really was no use in trying to start a conversation.

"Well, hello dear friends and stranger!" Raj cheerfully greeted as he approached them, a bottle and a glass of champagne in hand. "How are you enjoying the party, nameless brunette stranger?"

"Is he drunk?" Sheldon whispered to Leonard who simply nodded.

"Greetings, I am Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, and the party is what you would call, raging." The Indian man smiled, placing the bottle and glass on the table, "good, good. I had a feeling that this party was great, there  _is_  nothing better than a Koothra-party! I'm Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali, the head of the research department and the organizer of this 'raging' party!" He placed a hand on Sheldon's back, patting him roughly, "don't be afraid to get drinks, and have some fun! This is to celebrate another fruitful year at Penbark!" Raj turned around and raised his glass, "to Penbark!"

"Well, isn't he an energetic one," Amy commented, searching for a waiter. "What would you two like to drink?" She gestured to one who then made his way to them.

"I'll have a diet coke, or iced tea, I still haven't had dinner." Sheldon said before turning to Leonard, "I'll have what you'll have, Amy." The waiter placed three drinks on the table then left. Amy took one of the glasses then gave them to Sheldon, then handed the other to Leonard. "This isn't diet coke," Sheldon scowled as he sniffed the drink, "it smells a bit like iced tea, though."

"It's iced tea, for those who don't drink," Amy said, taking a sip of her drink, "I passed by here before we bumped into each other. Leonard, that's rum and coke by the way." Leonard stared at his glass then took as shot, "tastes great!"

The neurobiologist watched as Sheldon quickly finished his drink, "this is really good. I'd like another one, what do you call this?"

"Long Island Ice tea, please," Amy told another waiter who passed by, handing Sheldon another glass. "Here you go, I had a feeling you'd like it. It's one of my favorites." The vice president grabbed the glass, swiftly downing it then placed it back down on the table. "Ooh, boy, that's a treat that's hard to beat!"

Leonard blinked at his friend, "hey Sheldon, shouldn't you pace yourself with that?"

"Nuh-uh, I drink tea all the time. I know what I'm doing." He hissed, calling another waiter to get him a drink.

Amy smirked as she took another sip of her drink. This was perfect, it was all going as planned. It would only take a few more glasses till he's drunk, maybe even quicker if he doesn't drink. Just a little bit more, then Penny could make her move. Once Penny has her mind off of Sheldon, they'll finally be able to enjoy a girl's day without worrying about a guy.

She really  _was_  a genius.

* * *

"Thanks for inviting me to this party, Penny! It's awesome!"

Penny took a deep breath as she and Zack entered the function hall where the party was held. He had to give props to the Indian guy, the party was definitely a hit, and it wasn't even a holiday party.

"Yeah well, the more the merrier," she commented, snatching a glass of champagne from a waiter that walked by. " ***** But it's not christmas yet, silly! It's like, spring or something!" Somehow, the four months of dating and why she broke up with him flashed before her eyes. He really  _was_  an idiot. "Sure, Zack. Why exactly are you here?"

"Cause I missed you, and wanted to get back together," Zack reached for her hand, giving her a sincere look. "I know we had our problems but we can, like, fix it."

Penny swiftly retracted her hand, giving him a look- one that could have soured milk. "Zack, it's been almost two years since we broke up, why now?"

Zack furrowed his eyebrows, "I've been with other girls during that time, and I've realized that they aren't as great as you. You're one of a kind, Penny."

"Are you sure my brother and sister didn't have  _anything_  to do with this?" She crossed her arm, waiting for a response. Zack scratched the back of his head then took a deep breath. "Yeah, you got that right, but I really was planning on getting back together with you. We really had a connection, you know?"

" _Sex_  isn't a connection, Zack, not to me," she took a sip of the champagne, "not anymore." The tall man frowned, he does that a lot. "Can we just try, please? I know I'm not as great as that guy you dated after me, and I'm not as smart, but I do like you. We could start again, pretend we're strangers and stuff."

She really needed to talk to her wonderful siblings, she wasn't supposed to be here with him. She was supposed to be readying herself for the moment that Amy tells her to strike. This was her one chance to fix thi-

"Zack, my boy, is that you?" Great, now her dad and pesky siblings arrived.

"Uh, hello, sir," Zack said as he fussed with his appearance. She figured that he knew that her dad was a very strict man. He did have a four month experience of trying to please him. "It's great to see you again, you too, you two."

Mark and her dad smiled at him while Barbara gave him an emotionless nod. If she was so unimpressed, why did she even go along with this plan in the first place? "Dad, I ran to Zack when I was out playing golf and invited him and his father here. Right, Zack?" Her tall, dimwitted ex-boyfriend nodded, "yeah, dad wanted to go, but he was stuck with meetings. Hey, Mark, you never did tell me if you were still doing meth." She turned to see her brother's pissed reaction, that clearly struck a nerve. His plan had just totally backfired.

"No, I'm not," Mark answered though gritted teeth. He was always such a sore loser, "but that's in the past. Our Penny here is single, and we're all hoping that she settles down soon, or maybe in a few years. What are your thoughts on that?"

Zack looked down at her, then at her family, "isn't she like, too young to get married? You're like twenty, right?" She wondered if he noticed the four of them staring at him. He probably didn't, because his brain never did process anything. "I'm twenty  _three_ , Zack, not twenty."

"At least I got the twenty right," he happily said.

Barbara shook her head then pinched the bridge of her nose, she was probably getting a headache. Served her right for helping in setting this up. "Oh, Zack, I've never realized how funny you were." Zack have her a look of confusion, "funny?"

Wyatt breathed deeply as his oldest daughter tried to start a conversation with her younger daughter's former boyfriend. His son didn't seem to help and seemed to be enjoying it. He never really liked Zack, but accepted him since they  _were_  business partners. He never really did approve of  _any_  of Penny's boyfriends. They were either cocky or unbelievably dumb. Zack fell in the second category. He didn't want just some guy to takeover his company, he really didn't. As much as he wanted to leave it to Penny, that would be the only possible outcome. There was only  _one_  person who had become his last hope to inherit the company.

"Sheldon, my boy!" He called out to the younger man standing a few tables away.

"Sheldon, the chief is calling you," Leonard slurred, playfully hitting his friend. "I heard him the first time," Sheldon laughed, grabbing a handful of peanuts and shoving it inside his mouth. "Don't give that to Howard, or else-or else he'll have an allergy attack! Okay? Okay!" Leonard gently pushed him to Wyatt's direction, chuckling as he thought of Howard in his allergy state.

Wyatt's smile slowly faded as Sheldon neared their table. The boy was drunk, and all over the place.

Penny furrowed her eyebrows as her former pet reached their table, smiling lopsidedly at each of them. "Howdy, er'body!" He greeted as he dipped his hand in the bowl of nuts, dropping them all in his mouth. He was drunk! Amy  _did it!_  She wiped the smile on her face and mirrored the look everyone, except Zack, on the table had. "Sheldon, are you drunk?" Friendly conversation, of course.

Sheldon paused from chewing, swallowed the mouthful of nuts then leaned against the table. "I'm not drunk, I'm just having a tea party!" He exclaimed, calling another waiter and grabbing another drink. "Ya'll should try one of these, it's good."

Mark chuckled while Barbara cleared her throat. "I see Mr. Cooper has had some fun here, haven't you?" That must have been the end of Barbara seeing Sheldon in a different light, Penny thought. She wasn't jealous, she just didn't like the thought of her sister lusting over her pe- the guy he has feelings for. It was  _so_ much simpler when they had a clear master-pet and co-worker relationship.

"Yep! At first I didn't wanna go here, but my good friend Amy told me to go. See, Amy's really smart and  _nice_! Wouldn't have gone here if it wasn't for her." He finished his drink, then grabbed a glass of water from a passing waiter, swiftly chugging it down. "Hey, who's that?" He asked to Wyatt, pointing to Zack.

"Hi, I'm Zack Johnson, Penny's ex-boyfriend," Zack said, introducing himself. Sheldon scowled at him, "you're not working here, why are you at this party? This is for Penbark employees  _only_." Somehow, Wyatt had a feeling that that was something Sheldon would say, drunk or not.

"I'm trying to get back together with her," the taller man placed a hand on Penny's side, pulling her close, "don't you think we look good together?"

Sheldon returned Zack's smile with a deadly look, "no, you don't." He glared at Zack, causing his smile to disappear, then at Penny. "Excuse me, I hafta' go back to my friend, Leonard. He's lonely cause I left him." He waved a hand at them as he re-joined his friend.

Zack looked at Wyatt, then back at Penny, "he's friendly!"

Penny huffed, pushing Zack away from her. Something told her that Amy had gotten him  _too_  drunk, Sheldon was out of control. She watched him walk towards the seating area along with the short guy and his Indian friend. Amy must've gone to the bathroom since Sheldon was alone. With Sheldon this drunk, the night might not go as planned. She felt a tap on her shoulder, and felt a wave of relief when it was Amy. She excused herself, and dragged Amy out to the hallway.

"Bestie, I watched everything from a good vantage point," Amy pointed to the bathroom entrance, "we could use this level of intoxication to our advantage!"

"How?"

"Easy, I saw how he glared at you and Zack. When someone is drunk, they're more vulnerable and honest. You can now confront him and ask him on how he feels about you!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow, "are you sure this will work?"

Amy nodded, halting a waiter who passed by and grabbed two drinks. "Shall we toast to my genius plan?" She handed Penny the other glass and smiled, "to your genius plan."

* * *

"So, dude," Raj drawled, turning to him, "you're like, her sex toy?"

Leonard shook his head, "no, they're like, like friends with benefits! But we all now how that will end, I'm sure they already have feelings for each other!"

Sheldon narrowed his eyes at his two friends, who sat on each side of him. The room didn't spin as much as it did earlier, and he tried to think straight. He felt lightheaded, and somewhat happy. Tea always made everything pleasant. He waved a hand, "I'm not her sex toy, I am not an object!"

Raj and Leonard frowned, staring at each other before laughing wildly. "Of course he's not, he's a human, not an object! How could I have thought that!" Sheldon gave a breathy chuckle, joining in with their laughter. "Exactly my point! You know Raj, I can re-recall that I needed to ask you some... something." The Indian man turned towards him, giving him a serious look, "what is it?"

Sheldon shrugged, "I don't know anymore, but I'll prolly tell you when I remember! Must'nt have been something important, you know? Cause if it was important, I'd prolly would've told you what it was."

"Why don't you try thinking about?" Leonard suggested, causing Raj's eyes to widen. "Leonard! That's a brilliant idea! Try to think about it, go, go!"

"Alright, I'll try," Sheldon nodded, taking a deep breath before placing two fingers at his temples and scrunching his face. The Indian man shrieked, repeatedly shaking his shoulder, "dude! That's for blowing up people's mind! Don't try to hard or else the blood will splatter everywhere!" Leonard placed a hand on Sheldon's forearm, "wait! Look, look over there!" The other two followed where he pointed his finger at. Penny was happily talking to the tall, muscular guy that she had arrived with. Sheldon wondered what his name was.

"Sheldon! That's your  _woman_!" Leonard proclaimed, narrowing his eyes, "you're not supposed to give him to other men!"

"Yeah," Raj agreed, gently pushing him to stand, "you have to fight for your right- to part-ay! And you gotta fight for your woman or else that guy might take her away from you!" Sheldon clenched his jaw, glaring at the man. His friends were right, he had to fight for his right to be with Penny! He wasn't gonna let Zeke, or something, steal her away from him! He still hadn't decided on how he felt for her, and he wasn't letting her go until he knew. "You're right, I gotta get her back! But how?" He asked as he stood.

"Just wing it!" Raj said, giving him a thumbs up. He returned the gesture before heading for Penny. It was good that the room didn't spin as much as before, or else he would've found it difficult to navigate through this crowd.

Once he reached his destination, he slammed his palm on the table, causing the two to jump. "Hey, it's you again!" The bulky man commented, how foolish of him to not recognize his enemy! Penny stared at him before sending him a deadly look, "what are you doing? I was talking to Zack!" Sheldon smelt the alcohol in her breath, he didn't like it when she drank. "I don't care, you're not supposed to talk to him! It's a  _Saturday_!" He placed a hand on her arm, gently tugging her to him. "I told ya' I'd call you if I wanted to see you! I don't wanna see you!"

Zack stared at the drunk people who were arguing in front of him. No one told him that Penny was dating someone, they said she was single. That must have been a lie since they were fighting like an angry couple. He shrugged, taking his drink and leaving the two. Penny  _wasn't_  single, and he respected that, plus the Sheldon guy seemed nice when not drunk. He could always relax in his room and watch 90's cartoon reruns. He wished them well and hoped that they'd get back together soon.

"Look what you did, Sheldon!" The blonde slurred, glancing at the empty table then at Sheldon. "I didn't do anything!"

Amy smiled victoriously, a little alcohol wouldn't hurt her plans. It might even quicken it. She really didn't want to get both of them drunk, but Penny wouldn't open up to him if she wasn't. Her bestie was a stubborn person; she wouldn't tell anyone how she really feels unless she's drunk, or had accidentally said it.

They'd eventually thank her, she's sure of it.

* * *

"It was you who made him leave!"

"Like I said, I didn't do anything!"

"If you didn't barge in our wonderful conversation, he wouldn't left, Sheldon!"

Out of irritation, he placed a hand on her arm, dragging her out of the venue and out to the garden. He didn't want to argue in front of everyone, they might join in and cause a rumble. "Hey, let me go! I don't wanna talk to you!"

Sheldon shook his head, trying to figure out how to get to his room. "Whether or not you like it you're going to talk to me." He led her out of the garden then to his room, the party was too noisy for a serious conversation. And everyone smelled like alcohol, he really didn't like it. He glanced at her as they went up the stairs, she had went silent when they entered the west wing of the resort. "You're going to have to talk to me."

The blonde clenched her jaw as she glared at his back. He  _hated_  him. No, she  _loathed_  him. He had changed her, and she wasn't happy about it! Not at all! If he hadn't entered her life, she might have been perfectly fine with getting back together with Zack. Despite his stupidity, he was a nice guy- way nicer than Sheldon. She pulled her hand back once he opened the door of his room. She wasn't going to just let him have his way, he was going to  _suffer_. Just like how he's making her suffer.

He narrowed his eyes at her, his lips forming a thin line. "Get in."

Penny wasn't scared of him, she knew exactly what she could do. She just wanted to hear him beg-apologize for turning her into whatever she had turned into. So she followed instructions and entered his room, it was kind of spinning though. She took a seat at one of the couches then crossed her legs, waiting for him to speak up.

"I didn't like how you kept on talking to that guy," Sheldon sneered, walking into the room with a cold expression. He could probably freeze water with that look. She scoffed, "you don't have any say in who I talk to. You're just my  _dog_." He sat across her, the icy look still daunting her. It was like he was trying to stab her and destroy her. She didn't like it, and it somehow bothered her, but she could level with him. He was just her  _dog_ , she needed to tell herself that more.

"Yes, that is true, I am just your pet," he leaned forward, his blue eyes taking her in, "but aren't I a pet, that you  _love_?"

When did he become so cocky? She knew that he was drunk, not that she wasn't, but alcohol  _is_  her water, but she didn't expect him to be such a different person once intoxicated. And mad. Or jealous, she really wasn't sure which but combining those together actually scares her. His normal self was usually obedient, although stubborn, and wasn't as intimidating as he was now. She wasn't scared, per se, she was somewhat shocked that there's a side of him that's like this. Maybe she didn't know him as much as she thought, she's learning that day by day.

"Not anymore," she hissed. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to let go of a pet. She had a dog when she was young that she loved deeply. The dog got sick and eventually died, but slowly she moved on. She could do that with him, she could always get a new dog.

"I strongly doubt that you can easily replace me," he snarled, standing then yanking her from the couch. "You can't simply throw me away after you put me through very,  _very_  dreadful circumstances." He placed a hand on her wrists, pulling her towards him. "You may think that  _I_  ruined you, but in truth it is  _you_  who ruined me." He hissed at her, and she swore that he was going to kiss her. An odd thought, but she could see the lust in his eyes. He had once told her, dilated pupils and erratic breathing equaled lust. It was shocking how she remembered that yet still couldn't remember what she was doing before Sheldon interrupted her and Zack's conversation.

"I'm not supposed to be like this, Penny," he told her, "I'm not supposed to have urges like this! I'm not  _meant_  to react to situations like this! I had trained myself to  _never_  entertain my primitive urges ever again. You very well know why I have, and if you don't, it is exactly what you blackmailed me with."

"Don't put all the blame on me! I didn't ask you to become like this, it was you who did it all on your own." She growled, matching the glare he sent her.

"If I recall correctly, this  _is_  a part of the rules, that," he released her wrist and poked a finger on her chest, "you, created. You are the very reason why I have turned into what I vowed never turn into  _again_. You are the very reason why me schedule has been ruined, and why I have been unable to do my laundry!" He was shrieking now, she figured that he wasn't  _entirely_  a different person when drunk. He was probably panicking.

"What's your point?" She wondered what she would have said if she wasn't wasted on whatever drink Amy had given her.

Sheldon blinked before lowering his gaze to look at her. "I'm not supposed to be confused on whether or not I have feelings for you. I'm not supposed to be waiting for you to order me to return. You're not a part of what I planned, and I  _loathe_  you for changing said plans. I was never meant to long for someone." Drunk or not, that had been what she had been waiting, kind of, for two weeks now.

That had also been her cue to kiss him.

Penny kissed him first, and Sheldon kissed her back, just as insistent and passionate as she is. Two weeks, two lonely, frustrating weeks were suddenly out of her mind when he pulled her closer. She moaned into his mouth as his tongue entered hers, two weeks weren't really that long but now it felt like years. Years since she had last kissed him. What a sap she had turned into. He backed her up to the wall, his hand searching for the door while he continued to kiss her. She needed to remind herself how addictive kissing him feels whenever she purposely pushed him away. She really was an idiot, she had realized that now. Her arms lazily went over his shoulders as his hands searched for the zipper on dress. He must have not found the door, he was never patient.

A yelp escaped her lips as she was suddenly lifted upwards and pinned against the, newly founded, door. Her legs were carried over his hips as he ground into her. She groaned against his mouth as she tugged at the buttons on his shirt. Once she was done with the last button, he stepped back, allowing his shirt to fall on the floor. She leaned back against the door, trying to catch her breath as she unzipped her dress. It joined his shirt on the floor, followed by the bra she had been wearing. He'd pick them up once he was sober, anyways.

Penny barely noticed the appreciative eyes, and smirking face, watching her undress as she twisted her body to get rid of her heels. She threw them away and stepped forward, placing her hands on his shoulders. She grinned up at him, had they not been drunk, they would have been naked long ago. "Miss me?" She purred, gently kissing his neck as she tugged on his pants. He narrowed his eyes and undid his pants, quickly tugging them and a pair of briefs down. A fully erect member was stiff and caught her attention. "Just as much as you missed me," he answered, seemingly teasing her.

"Take these off," he demanded in a low voice as he pulled at her underwear. "Before I rip them off." She shuddered against him and began pulling them off. For some, naughty reason, she preferred this demanding Sheldon more. He always did say that she had an overly active libido, but he never mentioned that it would be greater if he lowered his voice and used his hidden texan accent. As it fell to her ankle, she kicked to the side before reaching for him once more.

Heated bodies met and Penny melted against him. Every part of him was hot and had become foreign to her. She  _needed_  to feel every bit of him. Her arms wrapped around his neck keeping him close as his tongue moved against hers greedily. She heard a click, and the door behind her swung open. He tightened his grip on her hips, preventing her from stumbling. "Have I told you that I love trying new things? Experimenting and testing new theories?" She wondered what hew as blabbing about, all she could do was nod while nipping on his shoulder. Her head was flooded with every sense that involved him: the heat from his body, the sound of his voice, down to the taste of his skin on her tongue. She wasn't even sure if he was telling her something important. "That's nice sweetie, but could we get to the bed first?"

"What I love about experimenting and testing theories is that you get to discover new things," she still nodded in response. "Like how we're not going to use the bed."

A brief look of confusion crossed her flushed face, the floor didn't look to comfortable. "What -" He grabbed her arm and turned her around, her eyes widening as he dragged her forward. They approached a large window wall that had its curtains pulled to the side. Her heart shot to her throat as her eyes went wide, "Sheldon, what are you doing?"

"Experimenting, like I said," he casually told her as he held her arm behind her back and pushed her up against the cold glass. "I wanted to test out this thought I had in my head. I wondered if it was possible to view the party from way up here." His rough movements were oddly arousing and the glass against her heated skin only made the affect worse. She opened her eyes and paled. Penny looked down, past the balcony and at the party in full swing across the garden. Her body was tensing as she prayed no one noticed her naked body pressed against the window. "It's not  _that_  close," Sheldon's voice almost purred in her ear. Her eyes closed, relief washing over her as he released her arm. She pressed her palms against the window to push herself away, only to feel his body behind her, moving against her. His hands coursed over her body, over her hips and down to her stomach.

"Sheldon, they'll see us," she whimpered once more, oh she felt so weak and powerless. She could see  _everyone_  at the party and wasn't sure if she was feeling ashamed or  _thrilled_. From her view point, she was completely exposed. Breasts pressed against the glass, palms pushed up against it, as her leg were spread and their beloved vice president right behind her, with his tip teasingly moving against her entrance. The vice president and the president's daughter, and future heir to the company, having sex in front of a window. That would have been a fantastic way to kill her dad, if she ever intended to. She would be so screwed, and not by Sheldon, if  _anyone_  from her family knew about this. "It's also tinted, for privacy reasons. Fascinating isn't it?" He smiled down at her, and if her libido wasn't screaming at her, she would've punched him. Literally.

"Sheldon, are you  _sure_  it's tinted?" she pleaded, she had no intentions of him getting assassinated by her dad and getting grounded for life. Even though she had stayed here numerous times before, she never inquired if the windows had any special effect on them. It's not like she ever used them anyways, she only went here to attend the annual meeting and get a spa day, not to have sex in a place where literally anyone could see.

His large hands moved over her breasts and he closed his eyes. Sheldon from four years ago would be repulsed, and would burn his hands by just feeling them. Although the hero always peaks, they do not touch. He wasn't sure if he was proud or disappointed in himself in experiencing pleasure by just touching Penny. He was wrong, he was no better, nevertheless smarter, than any other male on this planet. But he needed her, he needed to see her, talk to her,  _touch_  her. It was such a confusing feeling that he had never experience before, and somehow, his inebriated state had made him long for her more than usual. He was slowly downgrading from Homo Novus, but he could no longer blame her, even if he did.

"I'm absolutely certain," Sheldon replied gruffly as his hands moved back to her hips. One settled over her left side as his right hand carefully adjusted himself between her. "We can see outside..." he told her, settling his chin on her shoulder. Penny sucked in a sharp breath as the tip of his member slid out from between her legs, where it had been rubbing against her, and upwards, between her cheeks. "Sheldon..." she choked out, turning her face to his. "But they," he smiled as he spread her apart, causing her to grit her teeth. "Can't see in." He shoved himself inside of her and Penny cried out.

Drunk Sheldon; irresistibly sexy, demanding, and found pleasure in making her suffer. She now had a feeling how her dogs felt when they were with her.

Her fist curled and pounded against the tempered glass as behind her, the man she was in love with, violated her from behind. She held back the surprised, painful cries as he moved his hips, slowly at first, allowing her grow used to him inside of her. They'd only done this once before; after their rendezvous at the karaoke party, his friends had gotten him even more drunk, and they did it once they got back to her place. Drunk Sheldon seemed to like anal, since both times, he had eased into her, or she was just really, really,  _really_ , drunk to remember how it felt. This time, he had entered her hard and fast and she automatically clamped down on him, squeezing him tightly as she struggled to get used to the girth. Penny took deep breaths, trying to relax her muscles as he pulled out slowly before shoving himself in once more.

Sheldon loved the feeling of her surrounding him and compressing. Each time he entered, her body was thrust forward, against the tinted glass she braced herself again. As his movements became more rhythmic, his hand released her hip and rose to her shoulder. He clamped his hand on her to keep her steady as he pumped into her. The initial pain subsided and Penny began moaning as her body moved. She clawed at the glass, crying with pleasure as her insides burned. One of his hands made it's way to her front, rubbing her nub and sending all her senses on fire as his hips slammed against hers. She knew his hand was being coated with her juices as it cupped, rubbed, and penetrated her. He was praising her, which was a first, then he asked her how it felt, if she wanted to stop or something. It had been the first time she heard Sheldon refer to something as  _something_ , but she was to lost to react.

Penny couldn't even begin to answer; her mind was elsewhere, lost in pleasure as he rubbed her insides raw. She could see the reflection of his red face and his clenched neck in the glass as he buried himself into her, she could even hear him gasping for air. Sweat was glistening across his body as his muscles stretched and contracted beneath his skin. He was starting to tense up, his fingers slipped between her legs and began rubbing furiously. A pleased moan escaped her lips, causing him to groan repeatedly. She could feel it- his fingers... curling inwards and touching-

" **Sheldon!** "

She closed around his fingers as he continued to move them. Her body shuddered against him, twisting and rubbing against the glass as she choked for air. He wasn't stopping yet, she realized as another wave overtook her and her legs began to shake. The window was the only thing holding her steady as he pounded into her. He was still moving, becoming faster, rougher.

A groan reached her ears as he pulled his hand from within her and leaned forward, bracing himself against the glass with one arm as he came inside of her. Between heavy, labored breaths, Sheldon took a small step back, grimacing as he pulled himself out of her ass. Penny panted as she leaned against the sweat and cum-smeared glass. She could feel hot, thick liquid dripping out of her and sliding down, between her thighs and over her calves. His hot breath struggled to be calm against her ear as one hand continued to mold and shape one breast against his palm.

"I've missed you so much," he heaved as his other hand slid back between her legs. She bit her lips as his fingers parted the wet, hot folds and stroked her gently once more. "I missed you more than you think," she admitted. "But, I... we have to go back to the party, they might be looking for us." His fingers slipped inside of her and she groaned as his rubbing grew faster. "Really?" he asked in an intimidating voice. "Is that really why you want to go back? Or is it because you want to go back to that man?"

"No! It's just that my dad or brother or my sister might look for me," she said through her ragged breath. She could see her dad and siblings outside of the venue, probably talking about where she went. "Sheldon... slow down!" His mouth was against her shoulder, trailing kisses to the crook of her neck. "Make me. I'm not your dog right now,  _master._  You're in no position to make decisions right now."

His voice made her shudder and if he wasn't cupping her down there, she would've tried to close her legs once more. "But I can see them, they're talking to Zack and Amy- and looking around."

"Very well," he relented. His hands tore themselves off of her and she gasped. She turned around, only to have him assault her lips once more. She was breathless as he pulled away from her. "I'm not just gonna let you go, Penny, not after you pushed me away," he told her gruffly as he looked into her eyes. He looked at her almost beseechingly. "I'm telling you that even though you're the master, I'm ordering you to  _never_ tell me to leave _, again_."

She stood in her place, looking at him as her chest rose and fell unsteadily. Penny threw her arms around him and kissed him back.

To hell with her family and that party.

* * *

Sheldon didn't like his dream about him and Penny. It was of him, dragging her away from the party to his room, then proceeding to have rough coitus with her. His dream was very vivid and explicit, as if it was real. He sat up and opened his eyes, the curtains had been drawn back, and noticed that he was naked. He looked down and found another reason to hate his dream, he'd simply deal with it with a cold shower, or two.

"Hey, you're awake!" He turned towards the doorway to find Penny, wearing his shirt, and felt the color drain from his face. It wasn't a dream. It  _wasn't_  a dream. He placed a hand on his forehead as he felt his head throb. He was  _never_  drinking again.

Penny stared at him for a moment then grabbed the water and medicine she placed on the side table. She had a feeling this would happen, and it was great that she was prepared. She took a seat beside him on the bed and handed him the aspirin, "here, I got this when I woke up. I figured that you'd have a headache." He gingerly took the medicine, placing it in his mouth then drank the water.

"Thank you," he softly said, trying to avoid her gaze. If what he thought was a dream, was real, then it meant that he really  _did_  that to Penny. He felt so ashamed, not only did he give in to his urges but he was also intoxicated!

Penny placed a hand on his shoulder, patting it gently, "I can see that your friend is a bit happy. You go deal with that, then you should have some breakfast." She stood up, smiling down at him, "I got you cereal, there's no Dr. Who since it's like, nine, but if you don't like that I ordered a lot." He nodded, slowly standing up and making his way to his suitcase. "And don't worry, I already got the window cleaned." She winked at him then left his room, as much as she wanted to stay and join him in whatever he was going to do, she was really hungry.

Half an hour later, Sheldon reappeared from the bedroom, dressed in his casual clothes. A superhero shirt over another long sleeved shirt, she found it childish, but it was cute. "Hey, I see you're all freshened up!" She said as he took a seat across her, "I'm sorry if I'm wearing your shirt but I don't have any clothes here. It would be suspicious if I came back in my dress, and I don't want my family thinking that I spent the night with Zack." He poured milk into his bowl, she got the milk right, two percent milk. "Where will you get your clothes from?"

Penny grabbed a knife, spreading butter on her toast, "Amy's gonna come by in a bit with some clothes." She saw his expression,  _what do you mean Amy's coming over here?_  was what his eyes said. "Before you react, Amy doesn't really care, oh and she's my best friend. And unless you want to lend me one of your shirts and pants, she's coming over here."

Defeated, he simply sighed and took a spoonful of his cereal. He wasn't sure how he was going to bring up the discussion of what happened last night, but he could mentally hear his mother and Meemaw's voice yelling at him at how he oughta apologize. "Penny, about last night," he started, getting her attention, "I deeply apologize, I didn't mean to violate you. I was heavily intoxicated and had lost control of myself. If you wish to press charges, I will understand."

She raised an eyebrow, taking another bite of her toast, "why would I press charges? It was a pretty unforgettable night, you know."

"What I did to you can be perceived as rape!" He shrieked, he must have felt that he did something wrong. "I took advantage of you, and, and-"

"Sheldon," she interjected, giving him a stern look, "you didn't violate me, or rape me, okay? Like I said, it was an unforgettable night, thought I still can't remember what happened  _before_  the sex. I'm actually planning on getting you drunk more often, you're pretty demanding when drunk." She grinned at him, knowing that he'd probably never go near alcohol again. "Listen, if there's anyone who should be sorry, it would be me." The final step of Amy's plan was to admit that she was wrong, and try to make amends. If this didn't work, she probably didn't know what else she would do.

"I shouldn't have pushed you away and avoided you," he stared at her, giving her a serious look. "It's just that, I'm angry because I  _do_  have feelings for you, and that I'm not sure what I'm going to do with those feelings. I understand if you don't feel the same way, or if you don't feel anything at all, but I just wanted you to know that- I love you." There was that damned expression of his face again, it was a mix of being torn and confused. Amy's plan had now went straight down the toilet, he was probably going to say that he didn't like her, at all or something. She could now feel her heart slowly cracking, that's what she got for treating like some object. "And even if you don't have feelings for me, I still love you."

She saw him take a deep breath, he was gonna say something. "Penny, I'm not good with these kind of things. I am not a professional at emotions, and how to deal with them but somehow, with you I feel confused. I had once gotten ahead of myself and destroyed what I had focused on building for a long time, now. I'm not sure on how to say this but, I find myself longing for you when you're not around. I know it's not much for you, but this is a lot for me. And though I have yet to discover exactly  _how_  I feel, I know that I am no longer able to be apart from you."

 _Hot damn_ , that went for a complete turn on events.

"Sheldon, what are you saying?" Testing the waters, she needed to do it. This was a major moment and she could already feel her breath hitching. Such a sap, she was. "I'm saying that," he straightened his posture, looking her straight in the eye, "I'm not denying that I have, although confusing, feelings for you."

 _Holy crap on a cracker_. He just said that he liked her, in some, odd, Sheldon way of saying it. If this didn't make her want to jump him right there, she wasn't sure what did. "You're not joking right, no bajinga?"

"It's  _bazinga_ ," he corrected, a light blush appearing on his cheeks, "if I were joking I would have added that. However, this is not a matter that should be taken lightly, or jokingly, Penny." She smiled, nodding happily, "that's great, really great. Hey, what can you remember about last night? You were right though, the windows  _are_  tinted." Sheldon's face reddened, probably recalling what happened last night, causing her to chuckle. He broke out of his trance when someone knocked on the door, "I think that's Amy with my clothes, I know you love seeing me in nothing but your shirt but I gotta change, too." He scowled at her as she made her way to the door, he could have liked anyone but her.

"Dude, Howard is-" Raj quickly clapped a hand over his mouth and stepped back, eyes going wide at the blonde. Leonard blinked at Raj then stared at Penny, his jaw dropping.

"Penny, the food is going to get col-" Sheldon stopped behind Penny, his face paling at the sight of his two friends. He turned to Penny, then back at the two, then fainted.


	12. Sleeping With the Enemy

There were only a few moments in time where Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski, head of Penbark's pharmaceuticals department, deemed someone odd. She normally wasn't into labeling people, but it just happened. That someone was none other than their company vice president, Sheldon Lee Cooper.

"So," she started, her eyes darting at the four men (and woman) in front of her, "the weather's nice today, isn't it?"

Said "odd" man ignored her; the foreign one gave her a weak smile, the girl continued eating, the bespectacled man nodded and the man who had invited her to join them for lunch (who had a huge bandage spread across his cheek) slammed his palms on the table, startling  _all_  of them.

"I'm still waiting for an explanation!" Howard huffed, staring directly at their boss.

Their boss - still stoic - sighed dully, "I have already told you everything that must be said. I am unaware of what else I must inform you of, I have not left a single detail, Howard. However, I am interested in how you acquired that uneven bandage on your face." Howard crossed his arms and frowned, it was so like him to change the subject. "Like I said, I'm sure that it was that crazy  _girlfriend_  of yours and her schizophrenic friend! After the meeting I went on a stroll around the area. I was minding my own business and had decided to get a midnight snack at the restaurant - something without peanuts - then- BAM! My face is swollen and I enter a life and death situation!"

"Please," Sheldon said dismissively, "I hardly doubt that it was them. I had confirmed that their whereabouts were both nowhere near you. Also, where does that rather disproportioned bandage come into the story?" It took a whole lot more than a Phd to understand the conversation between the two men. She concluded that this little problem happened at the symposium - and that made her even happier that she didn't go. A bacterial infection breakout was far more interesting than this drama. As much as she liked Howard, she wasn't ready to deal with his dramatic outbursts, especially the one he was currently having.

Howard animatedly gestured to his cheek then to a corner of their lunch table, demonstrating what had happened by flailing his hands. "When I had lost consciousness, I fell and cut my face on the edge of the table. It was really sharp, okay? The cut runs from this part up to here, and  _boy_  it was bloody." He pointed to his sideburn the dragged it diagonally down to the end of his cheek. "I'm not sure if I was pushed or what, but this is  _all_  connected to the she-devil!" Sheldon clucked his tongue, gently tapping a finger on his chin, "I believe that it was a simple, yet stupid, move from one of the staff. Would you like me to double check the security cameras in the vicinity of this said incident?"

"I don't care about that! It  _has_  to be them! That outsider had caught me snooping, stalking and eaves dropping on them a little before the meeting started. I saw how your girlfriend's crazy friend looked at me - she was planning on  _killing_  me. She might have even spilled the beans to her evil friend." Who Howard was talking about, Bernadette didn't know. He was talking about two unnamed women, that was for sure. Based on the looks her companions had; Sheldon stared at him, Leonard had a look of concern, Raj looked frightened and Alex gave him a look of disgust and disbelief. She deduced that they all knew who he was talking about. She really wasn't a fan of mystery games, but one every now and then wouldn't hurt.

"I can't believe you betrayed me, Sheldon," Howard hissed while shaking his head, "you know what she did to me and yet you still got fooled by her! I know you don't believe me but she's hiding something and she's planning something. She's planning on getting rid of us! She doesn't like you, Sheldon, she's just  _using_  you! I don't want to be the one to say 'I told you so' when the time comes but expect it from me." If Howard claimed that Sheldon's girlfriend was out to get rid of them, it meant that she worked here at the main Penbark, and had a high position. Hmm, she knew some of the executives, but some of them only met with the others. The female execs were; Mrs. Vilbert, Mrs. Branson, Mrs. Peters, Mrs. Dresden, Mrs. Julians, Ms. Gantry and Ms. Colton. There were also a few she hadn't met, but those were all as old as the head chief. Unless Sheldon was interested in cougars and chose  _adultery_  as a hobby, she could confidently narrow it down to Ms. Gantry and Ms. Colton. But they  _were_  at least in the early forties, but she didn't know  _what_ Sheldon's type was.

"I thought you were better than that. I would be cool with it if you were just siding with the enemy - cause she's smoking hot - but no, you're  _sleeping_  with the enemy! Haven't you ever heard of the saying bros over hoes?!" She crossed out every executive she knew of. None of them were what Howard classified as 'hot.' Then who was 'hot' and had a high position in the company. Could it be... ? She had to find out. Bernadette glanced at the others; still nothing from the other three, but she wasn't surprised. The three had been silent from the start and hadn't tried to interfere with the conversation the two were having. As someone who had dealt with several fighting children for most of her life, she had a strong urge to just tell them to shut up. It was obvious that Howard was angry about something trivially unimportant and that Sheldon wasn't going to change his mind. Like two kids fighting over who was supposed to playing with a toy.

"No, I do not, and Howard - for the fifteenth time - there is no ulterior motive behind this and you are not right." Narrowed eyebrows and a serious look, Sheldon was a man of many emotions - she joked to herself. It was either equanimity, or a slightly upset look, how charming. "Penny and I entered a relationship under  _our_  terms and not because I wanted to save our jobs, and as you keep on arguing about, our lives. Penny is not, and has not ever, planned on getting me fired, like you say. I have also not betrayed you, as this has never been about you, Howard. I will make sure that Penny thoroughly apologizes to you for her past actions, which I do agree, were inappropriate. I thoroughly hope that you get over this obsession of yours, and that this be the last time we talk about this foolish matter." He rigidly stood up and glanced at each of them, "I must go as I have a meeting at two. Enjoy your lunch."

There was a moment of silence after Sheldon left. She was right - and she had the strongest urge to let her mouth drop in surprise (and victory due to almost getting it right) but that would cause a scene. She really wasn't expecting that (especially with Penny's record of past boyfriends and rumored flings) and she wasn't sure if anyone else outside of the table knew. She did see them together several times - either inside the elevator or walking around the office - but she had often concluded that it was for work. Sheldon was in charge of overlooking  _all_  of the departments, and it wouldn't be suspicious for them to head out to check the stores or meet in private. She herself had her fair share of time with the vice president, discussing the flow of things in the pharmaceuticals department. Sheldon and Penny barely interacted at the company meetings - they didn't even seem like friends - which was the prime reason why most would be shocked at the news that they were together. Although... If the rumors were true about Penny targeting the former vice presidents, then it wouldn't be surprising to learn that they were together.  _Maybe_ , that was what Howard was going on about Sheldon saving their jobs.

Regardless, it wasn't her right to delve deeper into the situation. Sheldon was a nice person (although odd) and Penny seemed nice. She just hoped that there was no ulterior motive from the latter; Sheldon didn't seem like he was well versed in the field of relationships. He was so robotic that his relationship with Penny was like a robot dipping into water - he would soon malfunction and blow. But really, she didn't have the right to think more about it. Now that she knew of it, she would be watching with an open eye to see if it were true. In her opinion, Sheldon and Penny kind of  _did_  suit each other. End of story.

"I seriously cannot believe him! I could have died," the engineer stressed out the last word as he shook his head. What his friend did was unforgivable. Like he previously said, he could accept it if Sheldon sided to the enemy - but no - he was  _sleeping_  with the enemy! Siding with the enemy was just plain betrayal, but sleeping with the enemy could lead to having feelings for said enemy! And if Sheldon falls for the ice princess (he was crossing his fingers that he didn't yet), and she reverts back to the satan incarnate that she really was, that would permanently scar his idiot friend. And no matter how much he desperately wanted to rub it in, he would still bad for him. Yet, Sheldon still had the nerve to get mad at him! "After I went through all that trouble trying to save him he acts like a moth to a flame and flies towards the fire - and pretty soon he's going to burn from it."

Raj leaned onto Leonard and whispered something. "No, Raj, Howard won't let this issue die down until he proves that he's right. And yes, he's got a serious case of paranoia." Leonard answered, causing Howard to grumble, "sorry, Howard, but Sheldon's made up his mind, and they looked pretty happy. Ask Raj." The foreigner nodded, grinning widely. Howard grabbed his fork and stabbed a carrot with it, "well, don't expect me to get him out of this mess when the time comes." Alex rolled her eyes in annoyance, she seriously could not believe him. Sure, she wasn't too ecstatic about her boss's relationship, but she wasn't mad - she was  _happy_  for him. Like how a  _friend_  should be! The ice pri- _Penny_  wasn't so bad once she realized that she was just jealous. Plus, she knew all along that there was something between them, and she respected that. It was time for Howard to respect that, too. "Really Howard? I think that Mr. Cooper is old enough to make and fix his own mistakes,  _if_  there are any mistakes. You should just let this go and  _move_  on."

Howard narrowed his eyes at her, mimicking Alex's voice, " _really Howard?_  Don't you 'really Howard' me, Alex! You're the one who's acting like a loser, giving up on your - let me quote - ideal man! Though, I think you need glasses because I don't see how he's your ideal man." The brunette scoffed, her eyes eyes mirroring Howard's, "I can't believing you're making this about me just because you have nothing else to justify yourself!" Bernadette watched as Howard and Alex argued like two lawyers at court, or a really intense debate club. Howard wasn't backing down, but neither was Alex.  _What a loyal secretary_ , she thought to herself. If the rumors were true that Sheldon was being groomed to be the next CEO - then maybe he wouldn't mind Alex becoming her secretary, if he didn't get a new one. Maybe she could turn Howard into her secretary - he technically didn't have an actual position in the company.

"I don't need to justify myself, because I know that I'm right! Now go and eat your lunch," Howard chided, sending the brisket his mother had prepared a deadly look, "I saw from Sheldon's phone that you guys are supposed to do rounds today. You might be too busy surrendering the fight to Penny that you might starve to death" Sheldon's secretary huffed, angrily taking a bite off of her apple. "Don't tell me on what I'm supposed to do - I know my schedule! And that didn't even make sense!"

Team red and blue glared at each other before turning their backs to each other. Bernadette swore that she saw Raj shake his head in disapproval but the thought was quickly cut off by Leonard turning and grinning at her. "If you think this is normal and consider this as one of your and Howard's dates, then welcome to the club. We normally eat together at this very lunch table, and you're free to join. We could always use more members who are willing to put up with Howard and Sheldon, and Alex would appreciate another female in the group."

There were also a few moments in time where Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski, head of the Penbark's pharmaceuticals department, enjoyed herself as much as she did. She looked forward to doing this again.

* * *

Penny poked the meat in front of her with her fork, uncomfortable with the silence.

"Tell me again  _why_  we have to eat together?" She heard her older brother grumble. She couldn't blame him, this meeting was unexpected, and all three of them had plans of their own. Plus, she couldn't help but glare at the mouthwatering steak that tempted her to break her diet. They were currently at one of their hotels in Las Vegas, and were returning back to their respective locations in a day. A major investor had asked for an appointment - due to Barbara's  _wonderful_  suggestion - her father insisted that they be the ones to go to the client's headquarters, which was located in Las Vegas. Barely a day after she and Sheldon got together, she was whisked away into going to this meeting. She badly wanted to spend some time with her boyfriend, not at a family reunion of some sort. Life was just so unfair sometimes.

Her father looked up from his meal, smiling at each of them, "it feels like it's been years since I last sat down and ate with my kids. Soon enough, your mom is coming back from Nebraska! I heard that your grandpa is doing better." Her older sister, the wonderfully perfect (not) Barbara sat emotionlessly, directing her attention to her roasted chicken, while her brother simply nodded, obviously uninterested in the discussion. There was a reason why they no longer ate nor lived together.

"So, how about we catch up with each other?" Wyatt started, clapping his hands together, "Penny knows a lot about my everyday life but I bet you two don't. The technology department is doing great and I'm planning on investing on other projects. The telecoms industry looks pretty tempting, nowadays. The people we're meeting today are very important and could widen our horizons." The three simply nodded, and Wyatt continued, trying to get their attention. Parenting was so much more easier when his three children were still kids. "If we will be able to settle it, we might be able to open hotels in Europe and Asia. It would be great to expand our clientele, and maybe one of you could manage one! A change of location every now and then is said to be refreshing."

Silence.

"I was checking the stock exchange the other day and our company is doing better than ever! Our rival company, Calder Enterprises' revenue went down by seven percent, and our's went up by three. At this rate, we'll be one of the most valuable companies around! Penbark will be even bigger than ever."

More silence.

"The electronics department sent me the first finished product of the tablet they're working on. It took me a while to get all of it and I used the internet for the first time. The term,  _friends with benefit_ s really stood out to me. How does that work?" Penny mentally choked and simply bit her lip to restrain herself from looking up, she had a good feeling that this topic would somehow find its way to her. "I clicked the 'I'm feeling lucky' thing and it led me there. I saw several movies based on the topic and I tried to read some articles about it, but I still don't understand. Do any of you know what it means?"

Barbara, ever so perfect as she looked up from her meal, gave their father a dull look. "Mark and I are both rather old, why don't you answer that Penny? Your generation seems to be those who engage in such activities," damn her sister, damn her, and her stupid mouth.

"Uh, I'm not really an active member of  _my_  generation," she defended, laughing softly to lighten the atmosphere. Even at a high class restaurant, located in a well known hotel, her sister could make her feel cheap. "But based on what I know, it's when two people have a relationship, without actually being in a relationship." She hoped that it would make her father shut up. She had absolutely no intention on pushing the discussion any further - she barely escaped it with Sheldon! He had come across an article about it (just like her father - damn the internet) and started to ask her if that was what they were. Although it happened a few days before she met Sheldon's friends from Texas, she denied it. She wasn't going to tell him that they were fuck buddies! Sure, their relationship ran somewhere along the line of that , but there was something more than that (to her) and that would have made him feel cheap. That was, if he understood  _what_  exactly being friends with benefits meant.

"We still have some time before our meeting starts," her brother snidely said, damn him as well, "we're really interested in trying to find out." She gave him the deadliest look she could come up with before taking a deep breath, she would deal with her siblings sent from hell later. She had to go through this discussion as quickly and as smoothly as possible. Mentioning sex to your parents - not to mention  _discussing_  it - was one of the most awkward and uncomfortable things in the history of awkward and uncomfortable topics to discuss. She would rather bang her head - repeatedly - on a metal thorn the size of her head rather than going through this. Heck, she would prefer watching Sheldon happily dating someone else than this.

On a second thought, she would rather have this discussion than go through that.  _God_ , she was such a jealous girlfriend.

"It's when two people have sex without being in a relationship, okay?" Her father's eyes widened and she knew exactly what he would say next. "Don't tell me you have one of those friends with benefits, too?" Penny vehemently shook her head - damn this conversation - ignoring the disapproving gaze from her sister and the mocking look from her brother, "what? No! You asked a question and I answered it, I don't do those type of things!" Mark snickered, and in instant she knew that she would be the cause of his death. "Fine, Mark, don't believe me but that's rich coming from the guy who had five girlfriends  _at the same time_  in the tenth grade!"

"Hey! I didn't have five girlfriends all at once! I just so happened to have asked all five of them to be my girlfriend, and - it was a coincidence - they said yes all at the same time! I wasn't cruel enough to just push them away! And why are you dragging me into this instead of Barbara? She's the one who shot his husband for no reason! And don't say that you  _accidentally_  shot him, you liar." Mark pointed to their older sister whose jaw had dropped. "How dare you, Mark!" Barbara gasped, her similar green eyes going wide with anger. "I didn't shoot him for no reason! It was self defense! Hank wanted to hit me and I was near the gun and I shot him! I didn't kill him- it barely grazed his shoulder!" Her eyes narrowed, as if thinking of something, "although, I wish I didn't miss, but I did not shoot him for no reason! But let's not forget about the fact that  _you_  were a meth head, Mark! I can't believe you dragged me into this stupid conversation just to save your pathetic a-"

"Enough!" Wyatt growled, tightly clenching his glass, "we barely spend time with each other and you still manage to fight?" He stood up and shook his head at them, "if you need me, I'll be in my room. I'm fed up with all your fighting and nagging! Make sure that you're at the meeting on time, try to be even a second late and you will suffer the consequences." He huffed angrily before turning and walking out of the restaurant.

"Hmm," Mark turned to her, smirking, "he really is getting old isn't he?"

"Oh, cut the crap, Mark." Penny sneered, rolling her eyes in the process. She knew that this was all a decoy to something her two siblings had planned. Exactly  _what_  they had planned, she didn't know, but she would soon find out. "If you wanted to talk to me so badly you could've just told me so. You didn't have to persuade dad into having lunch with us then getting him mad enough to walk out."

"But then you wouldn't show up, would you?" Her older sister plainly said. How she could be so emotionless, she wasn't sure. She almost rivaled Sheldon with the skill of pretending (or not) to not care. "We have a meeting to go to so I'll make this as short as possible. Before returning back here I had questioned the resort staff on something infuriating. After the meeting, I had ordered the special Vietnamese spring roll dish - that has the most orgasmic peanut sauce in the universe - that our world class chef makes and for some reason, it never came. Then when I reordered it, they told me the kitchen ran out of peanuts - how does that even happen? So, the following afternoon I decided to order it again. As I waited, Joan - a classmate of mine who just happened to be at the resort - told me something  _very_  intriguing. She said that she saw you and a man heading inside a room at the west wing of the hotel, which is pretty peculiar as our family usually stays at the detached lodge behind the hotel. She  _also_  added that when she was about to go out for breakfast the next morning, she saw you getting room service, which means that you stayed the night over - doing god knows what - at that man's room. It also couldn't have been Zack since he was with us the whole time. Do explain, Penny, why you were with another man who wasn't Zack."

"That wasn't short at all," the younger sister snorted. Barbara could get too sidetracked in telling stories, and what was short to her was a three hundred paged book for everyone else. "I don't have to explain myself to you, Barbara. Who I go and don't go out with is none of your business. Besides, if you like Zack so much why don't you go out with him?"

Her sister's eyes blinked, as if considering her suggestion, then sighed. "If only I were ten years younger and didn't have two kids I would've have went after him. Sadly, I am not, therefore I pass him onto you." Mark silently nodded, not paying attention to his sister, while taking a sip of his drink. "Penny, you are the heir and future CEO of Penbark WG - which I note, is a position higher than the three of us  _combined_. Having a scandalous reputation will not help in any way. I don't want the investors and clients thinking that you're easy- that will ruin our credibility. As a highly respectable figure, you must seem professional and sleeping with every single guy who gives you a second look will make Penbark look like some cheap love hotel rather than a multi-billion dollar company! I'm not saying that you should go and marry some corporate chump like Barbara, but you have to  _grow up_. You haven't even had a steady boyfriend since you were seventeen! You're twenty  _three_  and your little affairs with the past vice presidents do not count."

And she thought that the little stint with Zack would be the worst of her worries.

Mark continued, "we'd be okay with it if you were dating our new vice president, Mr. Cooper." Oh, if they only knew what  _exactly_  she was doing with Mr. Cooper. Maybe, they'd get mad, or maybe they'll flip and throw a celebration and give everyone a raise. What was with everyone and liking Sheldon? He wasn't  _that_  great, well he  _was_ , but for reasons that only she should know about. "He's a bit anti-social but also extremely intelligent, and even before I met the guy, dad told us that he was the best out there. Which is true, based on what I see and hear. But I overheard - from one of the employees - that he was dating his secretary. You know, that cute brunette who's always following him around? Shocking that that gossip reached me, since there's no water cooler between the main office and mine." She watched as he thought for a moment, slightly furrowing his eyebrows. What could he possibly add that would make her hate him more?

"Come to think of it, I've seen them together a couple of times when I visited a while back, and they actually looked  _really_  good together. An odd couple, but boss to secretary affairs are common, and with all the time they spend together, something would've happened sooner or later." Penny wondered if they noticed her repeatedly stab the innocent slab of meat in front of her, or how her eye twitched, or how tightly she clenched her teeth or maybe even how knuckles had turned white from how hard she was gripping her fork. They probably wouldn't think much of it,  _especially_  since Mr. Cooper was apparently dating his cute secretary that followed him around.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Barbara sigh deeply, causing Mark to give her a questioning look. "If only you did to Mr. Cooper what you did to those other vice presidents. That man may not have a face carved by the gods but there is something about him that's just so attractive. I think it's his intelligence and his cold demeanor that got me - that's something he and Hank have in common - the stoic look, not the intelligence because Hank is an idiot. Oh, and Mr. Cooper looks way better than him. You should've lured him in when you had the chance, I think he's great. However, dad would go crazy mad if you dated another vice president especially after the mess you caused. Such a shame, Mr. Cooper would've been such a catch."  _Ew_. Hearing the other employees talk about how impressive Sheldon was made her proud, but hearing her sister lust over her boyfriend was just plain disgusting. Her  _boyfriend_  - that actually made her smile.

"What we're trying to say," Mark cleared his throat as he ignored the blank look on his older sister's face that equally disgusted him, "is that you've gotta stop your promiscuous ways. Either you get into a serious relationship or we force one on you."

"I can't believe you guys are even trying to meddle with my personal life!" Penny spat, she wasn't allowed to talk about her siblings' personal lives yet they could dictate her life? That was just downright unfair! "If you want me to be all perfect like miss divorcee over here, then can't one of you just takeover Penbark? I never wanted to manage the main company- or any of it! I just wanted my own fashion line, okay? It's not impossible for either of you to manage two companies at once! Since the two of you are so great!"

"I'm too busy with our transportation sector, stocks have gone crazy high and I'm planning on continuing that."

"Penbark's real estate sector is stronger than ever! Why would you even want to sabotage that?"

Penny took a deep breath; boy, her siblings were selfish. None of them wanted the main company, and their dad wasn't going to live forever. They didn't want the main company because it would be "too much stress" for them - like it wouldn't be for her, too. Since she was the youngest, she had the last say on casting dibs. Penbark WG wasn't a bad company, heck, it was the most profitable of the three sectors,  _alone_. Penbark WG was divided into three sectors; the main one which handled most departments and the entire corporation - that was where she worked and what she would soon take charge of. Penbark Land, the first sector that managed real estate and the hotels they co-owned - that was what Barbara laid dibs on and busied herself with, most of the time. And Penbark Automotive, the second sector that managed everything that dealt with transportation - the most recent of the three and what Mark got as a prize for getting drug free. She knew that her dad had his mind set on making Sheldon the future CEO (alongside her), which would lessen her worries, but she wasn't born for that kind of responsibility. She always thought that she would be an actress or one of those infamous socialites who were known for just being rich. She didn't expect to  _work_  as well - she had her hobby of making little decorative flowers to blame.

"If you want me to catch what you don't want then you should let me live my life the way  _I_  want to. I'm twenty three, not seventy, I have time to make my own mistakes."

"Absolutely not!" It wouldn't be too hard for Penny to "accidentally" throw her steak knife at her sister's throat. "Mark and I have already planned something for you. Forget about that complete failure we did with Zack, that was Mark's move, anyway. We have several corporate heirs and spares lined up for you to meet. Whether or not you find interest in any of them, you will find a boyfriend within that bunch. It doesn't have to be long term like marriage and you don't even have to like him. We just want you to have a serious relationship - real or not - that will last for more than six months, and won't end in you getting someone fired." Barbara gracefully stood up before giving her a tight grin. The expression on her face made her look insane, not that Barbara wasn't. "You may discuss it with Mark. I'm heading up to my room to prepare for the meeting. Maybe even get dad to calm down. You two still have an hour and a half before it starts, use the time wisely." Mark mindlessly nodded at her while Penny simply frowned.

She  _hated_  being the youngest.

"Don't think that we're doing this to spite you," Mark muttered, his dark green eyes slightly intimidating her. "We're doing this because we want you to stop acting like a kid and finally face your responsibilities. When dad retires, you'll be one of the most powerful, not to mention youngest, people around. It won't be just fun and games when that happens, it will be serious business if word gets out on how you sleep around. Not only will you ruin our name, but the company's reputation, as well. You never know what will happen, and we just want you to not look like a fool." Her brother had been way less uptight before Barbara forcibly entered him into rehab for meth addiction. After he got out, he became stricter and colder, and the brother who had been the prankster of their family had disappeared. Now, he was the head of Penbark's rising transportation sector and was engaged to a socialite with a baby on the way. And Barbara was married (divorce still in process) to a future CEO, was the head of their real estate sector, with two kids and a reputable name of her own.

Her? She wasn't single - she had a boyfriend - (that no one knew of) and a long list of former flames who could easily ruin her name with what they know of her. She had an impressive position at one of the biggest companies around - one that she would soon inherit, but she was still nameless in the corporate world. She didn't have to mention the fact that she was a college dropout, but people would dig that out. She really didn't mind if people talked bad about her (well, just a little) and if they didn't like her. She was her own person, and she wouldn't change just cause her annoying siblings did and are forcing her to. She was still young! It's not like she was thirty or something, she was twenty three and had several years to fix her act. Not that she cared. She could do what she wanted, it was her life.

... Right?

Mark placed his fork on his plate, breaking Penny out of her trance. "Well, I'm going to the casino, we don't all have to prepare for the meeting. We both know that it will be dad trying to be friendly and Barbara spitting out her 'perfect' plans while the two of us plays Tetris on our phone. I'm heading back to San Francisco tonight," he stood up and gave Penny an uneasy look, "but I'm not sure about Barbara. She wasn't lying about the list of businessmen that she was going to set you up with. I've seen the list and it was  _long_! Don't underestimate her, you know her more than I do. She might have even hidden one of her contestants somewhere, waiting for the right time to corner you. She doesn't really tell me anything." He checked his watch, there was still some time to play cards, "I'm off, don't forget to finish your steak, Gianna was ranting about how there are millions starving while we're eating steak. Oh - and just some advice, I'd find a boyfriend before Barbara finds one, if I were you." She watched him wave at her before exiting the restaurant. She  _did_  have a boyfriend - a great one - but she couldn't tell anyone about it. Her father would get angry like her sister said, and that was all because of what happened two years ago... and from what happened six years ago.

Karma had returned to bite her back on the butt.

* * *

Leonard knocked on the door before making his way inside Sheldon's office, with Raj in tow. "Hey buddy, we got you something from our trip to the comic store last night!"

Sheldon looked up from his desk, gesturing to the chairs for them to sit. He watched the two close his door then made their way to the chairs in front of him, placing a paper bag on his desk. "Oh good, I would have joined, but Alex and I had to do rounds. The Picobus store in Pasadena mall was doing well, and the construction site where the new hotel would be had begun building the foundation."

Raj nodded in understanding, looking at Leonard then back to Sheldon. "We heard from Alex that you were swamped with papers that are super importang. So," he grabbed the paper bag and brought out the food containers, "we got you lunch! We decided to eat lunch here, since your office has a great view! And you have your own coffee maker that you don't use."

"I appreciate the thought, but I must finish these paperwork first. The Frampton account had been closed earlier, and now I'm drafting the agreement and of future prospects." Sheldon passed the finished pages to Leonard and returned to typing, "I had done the first drafts by hand and am now doing the computerized versions. This might take me all day, but I have informed the guards that I plan on staying overnight. It is imperative for me to finish this before the chief returns tomorrow, so that the legal procedures will be quickened by at least a week."

"Wow, I didn't know that you could do that," Raj sputtered in amazement, causing Sheldon to shake his head. "I can, and I have. Once I finish this, all I have to do is run it to the legal department - tell your sister that I will send her the file sometime after midnight - then send it to Frampton's representatives. If my calculations are correct, the Penbark-Frampton project will see the light by the end of the month. Fascinating, isn't it?"

Leonard grinned, amazed at how dedicated Sheldon was to his work. That was the reason why Howard (and they) were so determined to keep Sheldon in the company. Penny and her rumored ways were a threat to Sheldon staying, and they weren't going to let her succeed. He knew all about Penny's dark side, his friend, and former vice president, Rob had told him everything. He didn't want another friend of his to go through it again. But, after that day at the company symposium, he and Raj had noticed how Penny actually  _cared_  for their friend. After Sheldon fainted when he saw them, Penny was the one who calmly (panicked) ordered them to drag him to the couch, allowing her doctor friend to check on him. When he woke up, she was the one who was the most concerned - though she tried hard not to show it - even though he hit him on the arm for "acting like a girl."

Then, she explained to them how everything happened. She admitted that they didn't get along at first, and that she found him as annoying as he thought she was. But as they spent time together, they realized that they weren't as bad as each other thought (Raj swooned) but tried to hide the development, since her father would not approve. Then came the fateful night of the celebration, where they decided to finally own up to their feelings (Raj got emotional) and got together. She also told them that no one - other than them - could know, especially since Howard would go insane and her father still disapproved of her having an inter-office relationship. At first, he had doubted her and thought that she was lying, but as he saw the two interact, he realized that Alex was right; that there really was something between them.

Raj, being the (self proclaimed) hopeless romantic that he was, immediately supported the relationship. He said something about how it was like 'Romeo and Juliet' or 'Tony and Maria' and that it was like something straight from a movie. They were both glad for their friend, Sheldon seemed purely happy with Penny, and they couldn't deny him that. He and Raj decided not to tell Alex - though she sort of knew about them - since they knew that she still wasn't over her little crush. But they both knew that Alex would support the relationship either way - it was Howard who was a looming threat to the two. Howard meant well, but he just had to understand that Penny had no ill intentions. It was just coincidence that Sheldon was also a vice president, but he pushed that thought at the very back of his mind. Like Alex said, Sheldon was an adult, and he could face whatever he got himself into. Although, if Penny did turn out to be what they thought she was, they wouldn't hold back on defending Sheldon - even if it cost them their jobs.

But... something from the symposium deeply bothered him. He could recall Sheldon saying something about how Penny called him a dog - and how they were in a master-pet relationship. He wasn't sure if he just imagined it or if it actually happened. He wanted to ask him about it, but Raj was around. He would save that conversation for when he and Sheldon were alone. No matter how much he tried to recall the night of the party, he couldn't, but he knew that Sheldon was hiding something from them. That was for another day.

"If you're wondering about Howard," Raj said as he placed ketchup on his hotdog, "he took the day off. His mother is currently getting another cyst removed, and trust me on the fact that he really needs to be there." Sheldon barely looked up from his laptop, but they knew that he heard what Raj said. "About what Howard said yesterday," Sheldon articulated as he moved on to a different part of the agreement, "I hope that you are not pondering more on the matter of the relationship between Penny and I. Shall Penny do something that is similar to what Howard says, I will be the  _only_  one who will deal with it. Our relationship does not include any of you, and does not concern any of you. Though, I have made it a point to ensure that she never repeats the harassment she has made you endure before, it is still not a reason to interfere. But, I thank you for the concern."

They both understood what Sheldon meant; it was something he had to face  _alone_. Naturally, it was, but they knew how inexperienced he was in the field of relationships. They just wanted to make sure that he doesn't get hurt - he was unbearable when something went wrong. But they respected his decision and honestly wanted things to go well for the two. Raj would have a heart attack if they were to break up, literally.

Leonard was the first to speak up, a teasing grin on his face, "don't worry, we promise not to just randomly show up at your hotel door." Raj smiled widely, smacking his desk to emphasize his excitement. "Dude! I can't believe how naughty you guys are! And don't play coy with me - she was wearing your shirt and practically nothing in between - that has to mean that something happened! But with what Howard said you were doing at the party, I won't be too surprised!" Raj turned to Leonard, laughing along.

Sheldon growled, squinting his eyes to glare at both of them. "I refuse to answer that! We are at work, and  _I_  am working - must we really talk about something so, impertinent? Your lollygagging has interrupted my concentration, both of you will be the blame shall this deal be abrogated!" He stared at the two who were loudly laughing in disbelief. He could not understand what was so humorous. He was not trying to be sarcastic, he was  _dead_  serious. He never did understand how these two had attained high positions in the company - they were intelligent as they were puerile fools.

" _Lollygagging_ ," Raj repeated as he tried to stifle his laughter once Sheldon's eye twitched, "I can't believe someone still uses that word! Wow, my stomach hurts from all the laughter," he stopped talking and took deep, even breaths. If he had continued laughing, he would get the hiccups, and he  _hated_  the hiccups. "Dude, we just wanted you to know that we're really happy for you. At first we were still wary about Penny - especially with her reputation - but we completely trust you.  _And_ , you know that as a hopeless romantic, I want nothing but for the both of you two live happily ever after while managing this company and having many, many children! It's such a shame that you can't tell anyone about it."

Leonard frowned, noticing that small pause Sheldon did at the mention of how it was a secret. Something was wrong. "As you both know, the incident with Penny nearly two years ago had left an impact on the chief." Sheldon expounded, lifting his gaze to them, "and because of that, he has vehemently rejected inter-office relationships with Penny, as she had said before."  _Especially, with my past actions in my former company_ , he muttered to himself - it really wasn't something he liked to remember. "Therefore, we must keep it in a down low and wait for the right time. I, myself, have no problem with the idea as you know, but according to Amy - Penny's friend - it won't be long until the entire office finds out."

Sheldon really didn't mind their relationship being a secret, it had been Penny who had a problem with it. She had already complained on why they couldn't hold hands and "cuddle" - though he made it clear that public displays of affection were not allowed - and he simply explained that it was because of the same thing she used as blackmail. On a brighter note, she no longer used it as blackmail, as they now had an official relationship. But she still struggled to let go of their former master - pet relationship.

Raj paused from eating his hot dog and made a sour look, "oh crap, I have to go to the little boy's room. The chili burger I had for breakfast was  _seriously_  a bad move!" He bolted from his chair and ran to the door. "The fourth floor bathroom is the cleanest," Sheldon said before Raj closed his door. "Got it!"

"Um, I'm not sure if it's right to ask this but," Leonard looked up from his food container, his eyes full of curiosity. This was his chance to ask what he needed to ask. "Why would the chief get mad if you're dating Penny? I mean, I know he'd get mad if it were some other vice president, but we all know that the chief likes you. So, it got me thinking why you guys can't go public." Sheldon pondered what he said; Leonard was right, Wyatt wouldn't get mad. Now that Penny wasn't blackmailing him, Wyatt would never know of his past exploits... The only way he'd know, was if Penny really was out to get him fired. But he couldn't tell Leonard and Raj that he had a bad record, especially since he'd have to explain  _everything_  to them. He couldn't lie, plus the whole blackmail scenario no longer proved to be a threat...

Then  _why?_

"Wyatt still has some unresolved issues with the former vice president incident. My being involved with Penny might remind him of said incident, and we wouldn't that to happen." Not the whole truth, but very close. "Thus, we have agreed not to tell anyone - other than you guys - yet. Does that answer your question?"

Leonard adjusted his glasses, "actually, there's something else I wanted to ask you." Sheldon continued typing, "and that is?"

"Well, I vaguely understand something you said during the party at the symposium." He started, noticing how Sheldon still wasn't looking at him. "It was when we were all drunk, I can remember it, but not all of it. You said something about how Penny had blackmailed you into becoming her dog," he heard him stop typing, looking up to see that Sheldon's lips had formed into a thin, unhappy line. "You didn't say what she blackmailed you with, but you said that it would cost you your career. Uh, if you don't know anything about what I'm talking about, we can pretend that this never happened."

Sheldon's face still didn't change as he contemplated on whether or not he should tell the truth. A while back, he had asked Penny what he should answer if people asked. She told him that unless the question was specific, he could give them a white lie. If someone asked him if he was dating Penny, he could say no since he wasn't dating her. When Howard asked him if he was seeing Penny, he said yes, of course he had to see her since they had to do business together. All the questions that were asked were all generally vague, and he didn't have a problem knowing that he wasn't lying. But Leonard was straight to the point, and painfully specific. He couldn't deny the truth - even if he did, his face would twitch - and Leonard knew what that meant. The loophole was that he didn't have to tell him what Penny used as blackmail. So, Leonard would be the first person (that wasn't him or Penny) who knew what really  _was_  going on between them.  _Fascinating._

"What my drunken self had told you," he saw Leonard lean on his chair, anticipating his answer. "Is absolutely true, and must you know, you are the first person to know about this." His friend had a look of amazement in his eyes and he mentally winced - Leonard had added new information into his brain. "Oh! But is she really your girlfriend? Or is she just forcing you to say that you're her boyfriend? Are you sure that she isn't just using you? Is she still blackmailing you? Does she get something from doing this? Don't worry, I won't tell anyone!" Sheldon felt the need to end the discussion as quickly as possible, because if he didn't, the next question would be what the blackmail was.

"Yes. No. Yes. No. I'm not sure, and good. I don't want Howard to think he's some kind of detective-engineer-genius just because he was partially right."

Leonard eagerly nodded, "I understand! The whole Chris issue was chaotic, and if the chief did still cling on to that anger, this entire situation would definitely remind him of that. I wouldn't want that to repeat itself." The door opened shortly followed by Raj entering, a hand patting his stomach. "Wow, I know chili burgers really cause some tremors, but I just can't resist. What have you guys been up to while I was gone?" He happily asked as he reclaimed the spot in front of Leonard, turning to Sheldon who was silently typing on his laptop.

"Nothing much, just some business talk. Anyway, let's change the subject-" Leonard grabbed his messenger bag and brought out a plastic bag, "are you ready for one of the coolest issues yet?"

* * *

"Hey, Sheldon."

Sheldon looked up from his laptop, blinking at his sudden visitor before returning his focus to the last parts of his document. "Hello, Penny. I thought you were due to return tomorrow?"

Penny nodded as she took a seat on one of the chairs placed in front of his desk. "I  _was_ , but my siblings were irritating so I took the last flight out, and here I am. My dad knows, if you were wondering." She glanced at him, unsure of whether she found it cute on how focused he was in what he was doing or annoying that he was barely paying attention. "I am curious, how  _did_  you know that I was here?" He asked, still engrossed in doing the final touches. This was an important account - the agreement had to be perfect - he made sure of it.

"I don't know, I just had a feeling that you would be here," she admitted while lifting her feet on the chair opposite her. "I knew that you were the first person my dad told about closing the deal - and I figured that you'd start doing the paperwork right away. It's instinct or something like that."

"Very impressive, had I had some chocolates somewhere here, I'd give you one. Your deduction skills are improving, Penny," he looked up to give her an amused grin, "spending time with me  _has_  had its perks, hasn't it?" He watched her lean back on the chair and close her eyes; she looked so serene. He never really noticed how hard she tried to be at peace - he always saw her as an aggressive person. It had been a little more than a year since their first encounter here in his very own office. He remembered hating her entire being, she had even overthrown Wil Wheaton on his list of enemies. He wasn't one to be sentimental over such things, but it fascinated him on how much had changed between them - in such little time.

"It does, doesn't it?" She cooed while calmly breathing in and out. The entire day with her family had stressed her beyond imaginable. Her dad kept weeping about how none of them wanted the company, Mark kept on explaining to her  _why_  she had to be a respectable figure, and Barbara - don't get her started on her. All Barbara could talk about was the men she arranged for her to date, what an ideal man was, why she still didn't have a boyfriend, how she was ruining their name - she, alone, was too much for her. She just wanted to  _relax_  and be as far away from her crazy siblings as possible.

There was silence between them - nothing more than the keyboard clicks and their breathing filled the room. Sheldon found it slightly comforting - until Penny spoke again. "I might kill my sister sometime soon, promise not to surrender me to the cops?" He stopped, slowly lifting his gaze to meet hers. Was that  _sarcasm_? Or was she joking?  _Oh, darn_ \- according to the internet, this was a start of what would be a long story of her day (her frustrations) and as her boyfriend - he was forced to listen attentively. Shall he say the wrong thing, it might cause him his life - that was what a commenter said. He had to thread lightly - they were the only people on the twentieth floor - if Penny were to murder him, the only ones who could save him were the security personnel  _nineteen_  floors below.

"Is that sarcasm?" He innocently asked, returning to his document.

"Hmm, I'm not really sure," his girlfriend said as she shifted in the chair to face him. Sheldon took a deep breath - the bomb had went off. "Barbara is so annoying, and all she does is nag about why she's perfect and how  _I'm_  not! I mean if she's so perfect, why doesn't she takeover the company, right?" She turned to him, her facial expression demanding that he agree. In all honesty, he found her sister to be okay. She seemed to be smart, and was serious about her job - she was also nice to him. But he couldn't tell Penny that, so he just nodded. "See? Even you don't ilke her! And get this, she actually has the nerve to tell me who I can and can't date! Just because I've had a couple of relationships, didn't have kids and didn't get married to some business man - who by the way is divorcing her ass - doesn't mean that I'm  _easy_!"

He had finished the document - nearly eleven hours of non-stop work, neatly made and constructed, was done! He quickly saved the file and sent it to Raj's sister Priya - by the tone of Penny's story, it would make a turn to talking about their relationship - and according to google - that was the most crucial of it all.  _"Easy?"_  Sheldon repeated as he clicked send, he finished his work and now he could pretend to care about what the blonde was ranting about.

"Easy - easy to sleep with," she venomously spat out before turning to him, "sure I've had my fair share of sex with various men, but that doesn't mean I'm cheap like Barbara says!" It was a good move to stay silent, especially since the thought in his mind would have taunted her to strangle him. Though he still did not understand the term " _easy_ ," the fact that they  _almost_  had coitus on their first meeting (and actually did it on the second) did cause him to put her under " _easy_." Not to mention the fact that she was a veteran in those god forsaken,  _orgies_. He often tried to forget about that sight - not because he got jealous thinking of other men with Penny - but because it would lead him to think about how absolutely unsanitary such acts were. Nonetheless, she wasn't easy, she was just... promiscuous.

"Then she goes on about why I can't have a relationship that last six months, or why I can't date someone from the business world and why I can't just date you!"

"Isn't that  _exactly_ what you've been doing?"

"Well, yeah - but no one knows, and can know - yet." She growled in frustration, propping her elbow up on his desk and leaning her head on it. "If only she knew that I  _was_  in a relationship, and that it was  _you_ , maybe she'd finally shut up and let me live my life!"  _Then why don't you_  - was at the tip of his tongue, but he opted not to. There, deep within his mind, still lingered the question that had bothered him all day. Nothing made sense to him, and he desperately wanted to find out the reason behind Penny's reluctance to tell anyone else. He would find out on another day.

"Are you almost done with that?" She stretched her hand out to him, placing it on top of his. He had an urge to retract his hand away but knew that she'd go on and on about it if he did. "Yes, I'm just waiting for Priya Koothrappali of the legal department to confirm that she received the file then we can go home. I had already asked Raj to inform his sister about it. Are you hungry? We could stop by a restaurant for something to eat if you want. I'm not hungry, but I'd like some tea."

Penny stared at him, his clear blue eyes silently waiting for her to answer. She softly squeezed his hand, she was feeling some kind of strong emotion washing over her. She wasn't sure  _why_  but it was there, and she felt it just by looking at him.  _Oh, crap_ , she was so corny - the plus side was that Sheldon already knew that she loved him, so she didn't have to be embarrassed - or something like that. Then she remembered what Barbara and Mark had said - she was set to meet various men that met her sister's requirements. She really didn't want to, but she knew that the men would arrive unannounced (she hoped that they wouldn't visit her house while Sheldon was there) and she would be railroaded into spending time with them. Damn.

"I'm not really hungry, but you can have some tea at home." Sheldon saw her retract her hand off of his before sighing. He saw a glint of frustration in her eyes - had he said something wrong? Right as he was about to speak his laptop made a small noise which meant a new e-mail. It was the e-mail he had been waiting for. "Finally!" He moaned ecstatically, grabbing Penny's attention. "It seems that Raj did inform his sister about the document. She has finally replied, now all I need to do is talk to her about the demands from Frampton, wait for the call from their representatives, then we can go." He sent her a small smile then grabbed his phone to call Priya. "Hello, Priya Koothrappali? This is Sheldon Cooper, I'm sorry to have took this long and to have called this late, but I must discuss their demands. Is this acceptable?"

She watched as he swiveled his chair to the other side as he talked about the Frampton account. With a huff, she stood up and made her way to the other side of his desk and sat on top of it. Sheldon gave her a questioning look as she took her heels off, "Ms. Koothrappali, will it be alright if we discuss this tomorrow? I have an urgent matter to atte- you don't have to sound so happy." He sneered as he watched her with narrowed eyes. She was currently removing the cardigan she wore, and once she was done, she crossed her arms and turned to him. "No, I'll call you first thing in the morning. Yes, it is alright if Frampton's representatives call me shortly. I understand, goodnight." He ended the call before sending her a glare. "What on earth are you doing?"

"I'm seducing you,  _Mister Cooper_." In one smooth motion, she hiked the bottom of her dress up until it was level with her hips and leaned forward to run a finger down his lips. "I'm sure you're just so  _tired_  with all that work you've been doing."

Sheldon raised an eyebrow, slightly intrigued by the sultry tone of her voice. "If this is your idea of role playing, I think you'd much rather enjoy Slave Leia, or maybe Lt. Uhara." He gently tapped a finger on his chin, "you would also look great as Cat Woman. I'd rather be the Flash, but I'll be alright with dressing up as Batman, but Wolowitz might have a problem with that." The blonde blinked at him then released a soft chuckle, "really? I'm not talking about one of those cosplay thing of yours - though if I had known that it was a fetish of yours, I would've gone with the idea way back when." She moved closer to him, lifting her leg and placing it on his chest. "Today - and just for today - I'll be the secretary you've always had a thing for, and you'll be my  _intelligent_  boss that I want."

He glanced down at her leg, swallowing the lump in his throat before looking back up at her. "Do we have some kind of affair going on?"

Penny thought for a moment - he wanted some kind of, kinky storytelling sex - and hopped off of the desk, leaning against it. "Hmm, yeah, I think so. We sometimes meet up here in your office, but we usually do it in uninhabited parts of the building. The bathroom, the conference room, the printing room - where we can and can't be caught. Like I said, I'm your loyal secretary that lusts after you, I'd fuck you wherever you want to."

"Then what does that make me?" His pupils had now dilated - and even without looking down - she knew that he was aroused. "You're, my boss, the one I've always wanted. The one... hmm, the one who would fuck me on this desk, given the chance." He stood from his chair - looming over her - and placed his hands firmly on the table. "Is this considered as a chance?" The blonde smirked, reaching up and fisting her hands into the collar of his light blue dress shirt - the one that made his eyes stand out - the one that made him just so,  _irresistible_.

"Oh, it's not just considered as one - it  _is_." Penny surged up and her lips collided with his. He wasted no time at all. Sheldon's tongue violently shoved itself into her mouth and his hands gripped the undersides of her bottom tightly. It was as if he was afraid that if he didn't hold her hard enough she would push him away - run away before he barely understood what they were doing, his mind had forgotten everything and had focused itself solely onto Penny.

Her lips pushed fervently against his as she angled her head to the side. She groaned deeply in her throat when his hands started to knead her ass. It felt good-  _too_  good. His cellphone buzzed beside them as she clawed her hands into his hair and pushed him even harder against her. His hot orifice clashed with hers and she growled low in her throat. They kissed for nearly another full minute before she heard the exact same sound come from Sheldon's throat.

Penny's arms curled tighter around his neck and she gasped when she felt him roughly yank her upwards and thrust her onto his desk. She gasped at the sudden movement but the sound never left her mouth. Sheldon was fastened to her as tight and as hot as he could. His mouth was wet and warm and utterly delicious. She groaned deep in the pit of her throat as his meshed with hers. His teeth nipped at her bottom lip, her fingers tightened against his short hair, and his hands grabbed her ass tighter and tighter. Who knew that once they'd officially be together, the sex would get even better?

She was already throbbing under the fabric of her dress. She could practically feel herself dripping with the desire she felt for him. Oh fuck, if his hand would just slide between her thighs, or if his length would slip between her folds, she knew that she'd be fantastically and euphorically happy. She needed him, and she would be damned if she waited any longer. The last time they went at it was before they got together - which felt like an eternity ago - and everything he was doing was just  _torture_. His hands left her buttocks and curled around her back, his lips -  _his lips_  were still passionately moving with hers and she released an intense moan when Sheldon slid her ass forward on the hard surface of his desk. Her legs spread on their own volition and that was when she felt him.

Penny's eyes flew open and her mind went  _absolutely_  numb when she felt his hard, engorged, length press against her increasing wetness. She thought she had complete and total control in this, but with what she felt right now, she was seriously wrong. It was  _Sheldon_  who was choosing when and what would happen - not her - and she didn't give a flying fuck if he did. A couple days of being apart had made her almost foreign to the feeling of having him close to her. Her body was sizzling in anticipation as his chest molded to hers, pushing the part of him that she wanted the most even closer to her center. Her legs had gone weak as he continued to kiss the life out of her.

Sheldon barely seemed to notice how she clutched on to him, and how she kept moving closer, and closer to him. Or, for that matter, that she was hot and ready and aching to be driven into by his massive length. His attention was solely focused on her mouth, so much so that her hunger grew tenfold. He kissed her like there was nothing left in the world for him to do but kiss her. He had also seemed to forget that he had been waiting for a call from the client - who was already calling. Right now it seemed like the only thing he was waiting for was this moment. Funny, but he never realized how absorbed he was with his primitive urges until now. Somehow, Penny had awoken what he desperately pushed into the deepest and darkest part of his person. A year (and a few months after that) ago, the idea of coitus had repulsed him, now, even the slightest seduction from the temptress had gotten him aroused. No, he wasn't disappointed in himself - he was far from far it - he was just shocked, is all.

Sheldon hot mouth slid to the side of her neck and he began to place wet, fiery, breath-stealing, orgasm-inducing, open-mouthed kisses onto her tan skin. His teeth scraped the tight cords of muscles protruding from her throat and his tongue laved the marks it left behind. She craned her head to the side, giving him more room to work his tantalizing magic. Her ruby lips parted and her lungs gasped for breath - her body seemed to vibrate with the moans she was eliciting. One of her hands slid upwards into his hair and gripped as tightly as she could. The other began to slide precariously down his body. Over his shoulder, down his chest, trailing over his abdomen, and then down to the part of him that she wanted to feel the most.

He was pushing so insistently through his pants causing her body to hum at the thought of that length thick and hot inside of her. His mouth was still busily feasting on her neck but her hands seemed to have minds of their own. She shivered as her persistent hand continued to stroke him up and down. He jerked in her hand and she smirked at the power she felt. It kind of made her proud of the fact that the controlling, condescending and all-mighty Sheldon Cooper could tremble underneath her touch. His pelvis pushed forward hard, slamming his thick length into her. Penny jerked her head back, allowing her to begin kissing the length of her neck.

The sensation felt so raw and new that it made her think that this was their first time (and it definitely wasn't) and she couldn't help but wonder  _why_.

His teeth started to scrape over her throat and she let out a strangled gasp. Now her hands were no longer on his body, they were behind her, angling her form so she could support herself against this delicious onslaught. The fingers that had groped her only moments ago began to slide forward. Penny's rather revealing dress skirt had already been pushed upwards more than she would have allowed—thanks in part to the slit on the sides, but hell, this was her  _classy_  dress. She knew that this would happen - she  _made_  sure that this would happen. It was one of her more expensive dresses that were reserved for parties and events that begged for her to overdress. Still, Penny knew ( _planned_ ) where this was headed and right now, she couldn't care if he ripped the damn thing to pieces. It wouldn't be difficult to buy a new one.

The feeling of his softly padded fingertips sliding from the silkiness of her dress to her heated flesh was nearly enough to throw her into an orgasm. She groaned and jerked underneath him at the sensation of his smooth hands sliding up her clothing. It kind of intrigued her on how he kept his hands so smooth and soft - but she honestly didn't care right now. She was so sick of the rough, calloused hands of every meathead she had been with (including her past dogs) that couldn't do anything but make her feel like sandpaper.  _Thank god_ , that was over and done with - if she could, she'd never go back to them ever again.

She also never really realized how passionate and intense Sheldon could be during sex. Come to think of it, this was the first actual time they had sex - that he initiated that he wasn't drunk. Maybe, roleplaying really was a fetish of hi—

Her mouth opened in a started gasp when she felt the cold, metal desk against her bare ass. And her bottom was indeed  _bare_ , and she wasn't even sure how she didn't notice how horny he was. Sheldon's fingers were dragging her black silk underwear away from her ass as slowly as he wanted. She groaned fitfully as they peeled away from her dripping center. The lace had practically melted into her skin because of him.

"Oh, Mr. Cooper," Penny breathed, still sticking into character, "please, let me feel you." Her chest was heaving and her body yearned to be touched. Her arms were her only supports as she attempted to keep herself propped up against his desk. Sheldon's mouth was still wrecking havoc on her neck, kissing her collarbone and nipping at her throat. She was quite sure that her entire body was a bright, cherry, red. Her cheeks were scarlet and as such her mind was sizzling with the intense heat. She groaned and leaned forward - the result was catalytic.

The cold metal desk against the heat of her throbbing center was far too much for her to bear. She let out a sharp cry that echoed throughout his office - it might have been heard all the way down to the ground floor. His mouth shot up from her neck and Penny's hands clamed onto his shoulders. Her body was quivering under the intensity of what was happening to her. She could feel him, hot and ready, against her bare self. He was pressing agonizingly through his clothes and she wanted to let him find some sort of release. She  _wanted_  release. She wanted to be pummeled into, harder and faster than he had ever done in his life. She  _needed_  him.

"Oh God Sheldon," she groaned. She couldn't help but curve her spine and push her breasts into his chest. Her nipples were pebbles against his chest but his hands didn't leave their places on her thighs. He was stroking her, readying her, pulling her closer to him. Her hands curled into claws, raking the, down his body until her fingers found what they had touched only moments ago. She gasped when she felt him again but this time around her sounds were swallowed by yet another erotic kiss. He was even  _larger_  than he had been a few moments ago—if that was even possible. Both of Penny's hands fondled him with more urgency than before. His kiss became harder and more desperate as she felt his control beginning to weaken. Her nails raked down the tent of his pants and she felt him shake dangerously. His hands were sliding down her thighs, in towards the center, moving closer and closer to the place she wanted to be touched. She could feel his fingers tickling her, teasing her ever so excruciatingly. He brushed the outside of her center and she jerked hungrily against him.

Meanwhile, her fingers were doing their own desperate searching. She gasped and moaned against his mouth, her breasts were striving against his chest, and her nails were busy tearing off his belt, ripping his pants open, and setting free what she wanted embedded so deeply inside of her. She reached down and gripped him. Her entire hand wrapped around his length, stroking him diligently and with obvious purpose. She tested him, felt him ready and wet at the tip; she gripped him and felt him pulsating for her. He jerked his mouth away from hers and she felt his intense blue eyes pierce her hazy green ones. His head was jerking back and forth in slight but intense disagreement. She frowned hard but he only pulled his mouth into a sloppy grin and bent next to her ear. His next statement not only made Penny long for his clearly functioning thought patterns but also for his darkly whispered promise to come true. His hot breath flowed past her ear and teased the delicate hairs of her nape. When did Sheldon become so... sexual? Not that she was complaining.

His deliciously steaming breath cascaded down the side of her throat and Penny moaned softly. Sheldon slid his hand between her legs and she gasped when his digging fingers pried her legs away from each other even further. Her body hummed when she felt his fingers graze over her core. She could still feel his searing breath against her body, it was seeping through her thin clothes and spreading over her skin. She felt like she was on fire. "F-fuck!" Penny cried. Her hands surged forward to grip his hair; she wound her fingers around his short brown hair and scraped her nails against his scalp. If he experienced any discomfort he sure as hell didn't show it. His fingers were too busy making a leisurely exploration of her slick and intimate center. He curled his fist inside of her, probing gently into her but withdrawing before her pleasure came to an end. She gasped hard and jerked herself further onto him. Pressing herself hard and hot against him.

The string of expletives that formed in her mouth were never released. Her tongue choked them back into her mouth before she could even get them out. She felt like she was drowning. Sheldon's fingers were curling in circles inside her, pushing deeper and deeper - she couldn't breathe - her body was in flames and her mind was out of control. "Oh... g-god!" She cried and she felt her insides collapse with a force unlike anything she had ever felt before. Her muscles clenched hard around Sheldon's fingers and she flowed beneath him like an orgasmic river. His eyes bored into hers and she bit her lip hard when she saw what was in his gaze - heady desire, glazed by passion, shined into her face.

She jerked his head towards hers and forced his mouth back onto hers. He groaned and wrapped his arms around her back as he kissed her back. Her mouth opened to him and she shuddered when she tasted her own juices on his tongue. She grunted hard and shoved herself against him. Her pelvis smashed against his and his length pushed hard into the side of her thigh. She groaned and one of his hands wove up to her chest. His fingers hungrily groped her breast and she yelped. His mouth was feasting hard on hers and his hand was pushing away the strap on her top. Penny couldn't wait for that - she couldn't wait for him to full undress her or for her to do the same to him. She wanted him inside of her. She wanted  _more_.

Penny's hand reached down from his hair and went straight for his member. Her hand gripped him tightly and she brought his rigid member from the side of her thigh to right in front of her. His mouth ripped off of hers in a startled gasp. Penny's hand guided him as she pulled the tip of him over her hot and slick opening. " _Penny,_ " he breathed and she took that as a sign of consent. Without anything else said, she slid forward on the desk and pushed his length into her. She groaned hard at the intrusion and briefly took a moment to thank the gods for bestowing such an enormous blessing onto her boyfriend. Her head dropped back and his hands moved behind her to bring her even further forward. She whimpered and sighed when he stilled inside of her. She could feel him, in all of his glory, pulsating and throbbing and pushing against her inner walls.

Inaudible words were coming from his mouth and she gasped when he buried his head into the crook of her neck. His lips were moving against her skin, forming words that had no meaning, saying things she couldn't comprehend, sending tingles like she had never felt before down her spine.

"O-oh... fuck," Penny crooned, nearly having an orgasm just from him being encased within her. "Sheldon," she pleaded. Her hands moved to wind around his back and his shoulders. She pushed herself closer to him, she had to feel him everywhere. What occurred next was only a blur of mind-numbing pleasure. Sheldon pulled away from her only to slam back in so hard that Penny's shrill scream of enjoyment echoed on Sheldon's walls. His body moved again and again, slowly gaining speed until Penny was clinging to him and begging for release. His hands gripped her buttocks tightly as his pelvis thrust into her. His teeth bit into her neck and her nails dug intensely into his scalp. Sweat poured off of his forehead when she began to thrust up in response. Her hips met his halfway and the sensation was  _mind-blowing_.

Penny could feel herself ready to explode, the pressure was building up again so hard that she could barely contain herself. Sheldon was almost there as well, she could hear it in the small wheezes and shuddering grunts that were escaping his mouth. Desperately, she dragged her head back to his and shoved her lips onto his. Their kiss was fierce and hot; both fought for dominance as their bodies oscillated against his innocent desk (which was no longer innocent and clean as it used to be). Various items clattered to the floor creating a mess that Sheldon would whine about as they competed to see who would come first.

Penny's body was sent into cartwheels as she spasmed, her orgasm hit her so hard that her eyes rolled into the back of her head. The sensation of Sheldon thrusting in and out of her while she gripped him hard and hot was overwhelming. Not a moment later, a choked, gasping, sound echoed from his throat. She felt warm and sticky liquid fill her insides and slide down her thighs. Her mouth had to be wretched from his just so she would be able to breathe. Her chest heaved with the effort and her body tingled with the after-effects of what had just happened. Sweat slid down her temples and her breasts as she sat on his desk, panting, blinking, and clutching onto him. He seemed to be having difficulty just standing up properly. His body was heavy and solid against her; his head was cradled between her shoulder and neck, his breathing was labored, and his lips were lazily grazing her exposed skin.

They stayed that way - listening to each other's breathing - and attempting to control their frantic heartbeats, for a while. "You know," she heaved as he slowly slid out of her, still clutching the desk for support. "It kind of feels great to finally get what I wanted in the first place." Sheldon looked up, giving her a look of curiosity, "what you wanted?" Penny nodded, lifting her hands and placing them on both sides of his face. "Yup, I wanted to have sex with you the first time we met, remember?" He wrinkled his face as he recalled the day they met - which was  _also_  here, in his office. A second later, he felt her pull his head down before she gave him a soft kiss on the lips. "I bet you remember how much you must have hated me. But what can we do? You must have known that you'd fall for me sooner or later."

She triumphantly grinned, hopping off his desk to fix her clothes. "Now, finish that up so we can go home. The guards might check up here and I dont want any funny business. Oh, and I sort of miss sleeping next to a mannequin -slash- vampire." He sighed as he watched her leave his office to check if anyone was outside, and he decided to do what he was told. He glanced at his phone - two missed calls - he would  _also_  call Frampton's representatives first thing tomorrow, they probably wouldn't mind. Once he filled his bag with his laptop and some documents, he went and locked his office, then met up with Penny in front of the elevators.

"You're done?" She asked, repeatedly pressing the elevator button.

"Yes. Everything else is saved for tomorrow morning," he answered, watching as the floor indicator blinked from floor to floor. "Don't you think that it is suspicious for the both of us to be here at this hour?" Penny shook her head, lifting a bag that he swore she didn't have before. "I told the guards that I left something  _very_  important, and that I really had to get it. If they wonder why I'm with you, I'll just say that I checked on the Frampton report, since you were still here. Now, here we are because I would give you a ride home."

"And you think that they'll believe you?" The elevator door opened, and they stepped inside. "Well, even if they don't, I really don't care. They can think what they want to think, but what I said is true." She handed him the unnoticed bag before she stretched her arms up, "I seriously can't wait to go home and have some more fun with you." He scowled at her as he gave her bag back, "we have work tomorrow, Penny. I'm very tired. This is already too late for a perfect REM sleep, we cannot afford to stay up any later." She pouted at him, matching the look of disapproval on his face before sighing in defeat. "Alright, fine. You win this time cause I am kinda sleepy. But I'll get you on a different day," she looked up at him, giving him a playful smile. He pursed his lips at her then shrugged, "good, you have already ruined my REM pattern for a year now. A few hours of sleep will do me good."

At the back of his mind, he mentally repeated what she said to him.

_"You must have known that you'd fall for me sooner or later."_


	13. She's Still Sheldon's Girlfriend

"Hey, Sheldon! Hey! It's me, over here!" Penny called, frantically waving her hand at the man several feet away from her.

Sheldon turned to her, an icy look on his face - he looked annoyed. His mouth curled downwards as she ran up to him. "I thought that you were gonna wait outside? You could have told me that you were going somewhere." She placed a hand on his arm - which he quickly jerked away. "Hey, whats wrong with you? Why are you acting so odd?"

"Sheldon?" They both turned to see Alex holding several paper bags. "What are you doing with the ice princess?"

 _Ice princess?_  Penny gave Sheldon a puzzled look as he made his way to the brunette. "I was minding my own business then she just came up and talked to me. I have no desire to  _ever_  talk to her."  _What?_  This wasn't right, Sheldon was acting so weird. They had just become happy - why was he acting like he was so repulsed by her? It didn't make sense! "What are you talking about, Sheldon? I'm your girlfriend, you're not supposed to act like I'm some, monster."

She watched as he narrowed his eyes and placed a hand on Alex's shoulder. "Girlfriend? You were never my girlfriend, Penny.  _Alex_  is my girlfriend, not you." Alex nodded beside him, "after Sheldon found out about the truth, he dropped you like a hot potato. How could you have forgotten that? You practically tore half of the building apart when he told you that it was over between the two of you. Right, babe?"  _Babe?_  This was a dream, she knew it! No, it wasn't a dream- it was some kind of twisted nightmare! She brought a hand to her forearm, tightly pinching her skin. Why wasn't she waking up?! "Is this some kind of prank, cause if it is, it's not funny!" She exclaimed angrily. She could see several people making their way towards where they stood. It was Sheldon's friends, followed by her family, Amy, and the precious vice presidents. What the hell was happening? If this was a dream, why wasn't she waking up?

"I put up with your selfishly cruel ways because I thought that you weren't who they said you were," Sheldon explained dully as the various people stood behind him. "I refused to believe what my friends had told me- I was blinded by what had haunted me. Then one day, I discovered the truth. You  _used_  me, for your sick interests. You used  _all_  of us!" The people behind him nodded in agreement, and one took a step forward. It was Amy. "Bestie, I know this might be hard for you to understand but, we have had enough of you. There is a limit to what we can endure, and you betraying Sheldon had been the last straw."  _Betraying Sheldon?_  She didn't betray him in any way! Sure there were some cruel ulterior motives at the start, but they were all gone now!

Another person stepped forward- it was Barbara, with Mark standing silently behind her. "We tried to save you," her sister revealed, an unnerving smirk on her face, "but you just didn't listen. Now, you've jeopardized the company and all of us. You even almost killed dad, just because you were so selfish. Maybe, that's why you're not perfect, because you were tainted from the start." Mark turned towards her, his arms crossed and his lips in a disapproving thin line. "We did everything we could, but you were just a lost case. Look what you've done to yourself, you've turned your family, friends, and the man you  _love_  against you. What exactly your motive was - before and six years ago - we don't know. I don't think even you know. But what can we do?"

"We trusted you with our friend." A voice angrily spat. It was Bailey, alongside Gregg, Leonard and Raj. The dark hair woman shook her head, "you never deserved his love. You're just a treacherous leech who wants nothing but to destroy lives." Leonard removed his glasses, wiping it on the hem of his jacket. "We gave you a chance and you ruined it. Why do you love destroying people, Penny? Does it make you feel better about yourself? Does it help you sleep at night, knowing that you successfully killed a soul?" She didn't  _kill_  anyone! What were they talking about? She wasn't doing anything wrong! "I was right all along," the engineer appeared, a smirk on his face and his hands behind his back. "You're not human. You're a monster, maybe even worse than that. For my victory celebration, I brought a friend that you may remember." Howard glanced over his shoulder, "come on out." The line of people parted and someone walked pass them, and stopped in front of her.

 _It was Chris_.

"Hello, Penny," he smoothly greeted, a hand hiding behind his back. "Isn't it nice to see you again? The woman who  _ruined_  my - and others - life, in the flesh. Don't you just love it when the past haunts you?" He brought his hand out and extended it to her - pointing the gun in his hand straight at her. "Life has been hell for me, thanks for asking. Are you ready, Sheldon?"

"Chris, what are you doing?" She asked in distress. She felt Sheldon move towards her, his hands quickly - and roughly - grabbing her wrists and stretching them behind her. "That hurts! Sheldon what are you doing?"

"It's time to teach you a lesson, Penny," Sheldon whispered, "you can't just run around playing duck-duck-goose and ruining people's lives. That's wrong, and I'm here to correct it. This is what your rightfully deserve." She was scared - and they knew it. "Sheldon,  _please_  let me go! I don't know why you're doing this, but you have to stop!"

"Then stop the lies, Penny," Chris told her, the gun still pointed at her.

"What lies? I don't know what you're talking about!" She felt Sheldon tighten his grip around her wrists while Chris loaded the gun. "It all ends here, Penny. You should've done the right thing when you could have."

"NO! NO! NO!"

* * *

Penny's eyes suddenly opened and she found herself back in her living room, trying to catch her breath.

"Oh, good you're awake." She turned to her side and found Sheldon sitting in front of the television, "you were having a bad dream. I wanted to wake you up - but it's ten forty in the morning - and you might punch my throat." She sat up then groaned in frustration.  _What a horrible nightmare_ , she thought as she stretched her body. Nothing made sense in that dream, and if her subconscious was trying to tell her something, she didn't know what. Come to think of it, she had already forgotten most of the dream. She just remembered Sheldon acting distant and indirectly telling her that he hated her. Good thing it was a dream, cause if it wasn't, she wouldn't know what she would do.

"You were talking in your sleep," he said as he stacked CD cases on the side of the tv. "You were asking me to let you go and said that you didn't know why I was doing whatever I was doing in your dream. I am curious to know what you dreamed of, but from the tone of your murmurs I deduced that it was a nightmare - and I have no intention of delving into the dark realm." He placed one last case then stood up, wiping his hands on a piece of cloth. "What are you doing?" Penny asked as she watched Sheldon cross to the other side of the room.

"I'm organizing this place," he gestured around him, "everything now is in it's proper place and if it isn't, it has a label telling otherwise."

She stood up, striding to the kitchen, "oh, that's nice. When did you start doing that?" She opened her fridge (food could get her to forget about that nightmare) and grabbed a carton of milk for her cereal. "Hmm... Exactly at six thirteen in the morning. I figured that if I were to stay here more often, this place should be as acceptable as possible. Look around, isn't it amazing?" Penny rolled her eyes as she took a spoonful of cereal in her mouth. Her boyfriend was such a Whackadoodle. "You must admit that before you dragged me here, you were living in a giant room full of dirty laundry. Now, you live in something worthy of the name, home." She never understood what was up with Sheldon and cleaning. It just sort of, relaxed him to clean and organize everything. It definitely was a perk, but one of the benefits of living in a hotel was the housekeeping. Now she had housekeeping and a neat freak boyfriend. It was the best of both worlds.

"I also found something at the back of your closet that confused me," Sheldon made his way to the kitchen, standing in front of her, "and I wondered, do you have a dog?"

"A dog?" Penny repeated as he handed her a cup of coffee he made beforehand. Another perk of having Sheldon as a boyfriend; since he was so strict about routines, he had memorized hers as well and had blended it with his. "Yes. I found a long rubber chew toy tha-" she leaned across the counter, slapping a hand on his mouth. "That wasn't a chew toy, that was a  _sex_  toy." His eyes widened, and he immediately pried her hand from his mouth. "Why in the world would you buy one of those dastardly things?" Presenting the cons of having a virgin as a boyfriend. Wait, Sheldon wasn't a virgin - he was far from it - but he was kind of one. No, he was innocent, that was the right term to describe. But he did have an affair with his boss' wife so that didn't make him any more innocent than she was.

"That," she pointed her spoon at him, "was  _before_  I met you." Sheldon narrowed his eyes at the drops of milk that dripped from her spoon. He quickly grabbed a paper towel and wiped it away- neat freak Whackadoodle, but she wouldn't have him any other way. "Yes, well isn't that great. Don't expect to see it again," he muttered while walking back to the living room. "Will it be alright if I use the fourth bedroom to put some of my necessities in? The second and third ones are already so cramped with all of your unused and unnecessary clothing. Why would someone even need five different colors of the same dress?"

She lifted her bowl of cereal, deciding to eat in the living room. She sat herself on the couch - the spot where Sheldon had deemed his  _spot_. Sheldon normally got mad at her whenever she sat there, but he was probably in a good mood to have not scolded her. "That's rich coming from the guy who has about a hundred different shirts with weird logos on it. And for your information, I wore all of those clothes last year! You can't expect me to wear the same clothes over and over like you do." He snorted, focusing his attention on setting up his xbox. "Which reminds me, why would you want to use a different room? There's plenty of space in my room." It had been a week and a half since the Frampton meeting, and with the deal being successfully closed, they all had some time to wind down before the initial project began. It had also been a week since she had managed to persuade Sheldon into putting some of his things at her place. At first he was  _very_  reluctant to the idea, but she had told him of all the perks of him staying there. It was closer to the office, he didn't have to take the bus or the company shuttle that was crowded with people, he could eat anything he wanted to from the restaurant,  _and_  he would be with her.

Sheldon immediately argued on how the last part was efficient - ultimately ignoring it - but agreed to adding things of his own. But, he would still return to his apartment on most days since he had a daily routine with his friends. She initially wanted him to move in with her - since he practically already was living there - but that made her think about the future. Like how they would be living together, and how it would lead to marriage and children- but what if they broke up? That thought alone made her want to scream at the top of her lungs and  _kill_  someone. Sure, she had commitment issues in the past, Zack even proposed to her once and she turned him down without even a bat of an eye. Her relationships never lasted more than six months (excluding Zack) because she was afraid of the long term commitment! Now, she literally swooned at the simple thought of Sheldon living with her. But them breaking up? He was her father's protege - that he didn't know of - so he wouldn't get fired. If they broke up and they still saw each other every day, she would go insane. But the only way she would distance herself from him - if they broke up - was if she were to  _forcibly_  get him fired.

She wouldn't do that, not anymore.

That line of thought was just because of the idea of him actually moving in together. Maybe, it was some sort of commitment paranoia. Penny didn't know, but what she did know was that bribing Sheldon with the new console thing would help him to make up his mind. It wasn't that Sheldon didn't get a big fat paycheck - because he did - but she was just  _so_  happy that when she was at the mall and saw it, she went into the store and bought it. Everything was going well with her and Sheldon! She felt like she was floating on a cloud, over exaggerating she was not, that even the dates her sister set up with her weren't as annoying as she thought. All she had to do was to agree, make conversation, then tell the guy that she wasn't interested. It worked through the three guys she met. The fourth - which was  _Zack_  - told her that he just wanted to spend time with her as a friend. He even asked about how Sheldon was doing. She didn't have to tell Sheldon about the dates, though. She was handling it go- _well_  on her own.

"Penny, this suite occupies half of the entire floor. There are five more bedrooms in this suite, and I don't think it would be too much if I took at least one." Sheldon had loved the Penny specific design of this hotel. The top floor, which was where they were, was divided into two parts; Penny's part which could only be accessed by using a specific key card and elevator, and the pool and gym, which were accessible via all elevators. Though, it would be a hassle to go swimming (they'd have to go down a level, change elevators then climb back up) but he had no intention of swimming, and Penny had her own hot tub. He had once been robbed, and with the efficient system that was Penny's penthouse, he could store all of his valuable items here, and only fear the risk of Penny touching them. What she didn't know was that, that was the main reason why he agreed to place his belongings. He stood up, gave her a knowing look for her to move and sat on his spot, grabbing his laptop and turning it on. "Oh, and I meant to tell you earlier, it's Saturday tomorrow with the Picobus men, and I must return to my apartment." The blonde turned to him, peering over his laptop. "Wait, when did you have a Saturday routine with those guys?"

"I always have, but ever since you placed those rules of yours, we have all been busy and unable to push through with our plans. This will be the first time that we will pla-"

"You can do it here." Her eyes were wide and convincing while his were still waiting for her to allow him to finish. "I won't mind. They know about us, I wanna show them that I'm not evil as they think!"

"We're playing  _paintball_ , Penny. I hardly doubt that you'd appreciate us shooting at your furniture," he clarified, causing her to frown. She felt stupid. "However, you are free to join. I am aware of your sharp shooting skills, and I won't mind you joining. Howard would throw a fit, but you can shoot him there." He saw her face lit up and he sighed, she was excited to join- he knew it. He'd have to inform Leonard and the others about it, get her her own paintball gear, teach her the rules and make sure that she doesn't kill Howard once he whines about why they allowed her to join. Having a girlfriend was  _so_  troublesome, he concluded. Life was so easier for him when Penny wasn't always insisting on making "friends" with his friends. "Really? I can't wait! I promise to make your team win, I'm great at shooting! Plus, camouflage looks  _great_  on me!"

He was thankful that the telephone rang or else Penny would have gone on and on about how she was gonna "kick everyone's ass."

"What is it Chaz? No, I haven't talked to my sister yet. Yes, she's still banned, Mark isn't." Sheldon stared at her as he opened a file on his laptop, it was rare for the Chaz, the hotel manager, to call. It meant that they were bringing something up to the suite, or that one of her relatives was visiting. He hoped that it was the former, and that it was one of his favorite meals. "What do you mean they're bringing it up? Didn't I specifically tell you to  _not_  bring those up?" Penny was getting frustrated, which meant that she would pour her frustrations out on him- via a long rant or angry coitus- or both at the same time, which he vehemently hated. He didn't want to be there when she got  _that_  mad. He grabbed his windbreaker, draping it on his shoulder and closed his laptop, placing it underneath his arm. All he needed was to wait for the call to end then  _run_. He could spend some time at the comic store, or at one of the guys' house, or visit a train museum, or ask Gregg and Bailey to have lunch with him. He would go with the last option.

"What do you mean that it's on the way up here? No,  _listen_  to me! I want you to throw them away right no-" Penny felt her heart leap from her throat when there was a knock on her door.

"I'll get it," Sheldon said as he stood up, making his way to the door. It was his chance to escape from angry!Penny. "Sheldon, wait don't-" He opened the door and was met by a trolley filled with various flower baskets. "Mr. Cooper, hello, Ms. Barbara asked me to bring this up here," John, the bellboy quickly said. "Well, good day." He blinked as the young boy disappeared into the elevator, and found himself staring at the seven- no,  _ten_  different baskets of flower arrangements in front of him. He stepped forward, taking random envelopes that were stuck on the various baskets.

_Penny, I can't wait for our date tomorrow, evening. I know you never liked me, but I'm willing to prove that I'm not as arrogant as you thought I was. I'm really excited to see you, - Matthew_

_I'm not sure what I should send you to show how much I'm anticipating our date on Monday, but I opted for flowers. I wasn't sure on what your favorite flower was, so I got something mixed. I hope you like it. See you then, - Brandon_

_Hi, Penny! This may seem a bit unexpected, but I'm really nervous for our date on Wednesday. So I got flowers- peonies, cause it sounds like penny, kind of. Its gonna be great, and I promise that you'll have fun! I can't wait, and I hope you're as excited as I am! - Luke_

"Sheldon, I, I can explain." Penny whimpered from behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder. He barely felt her hand touch him as he stared horridly at the trolley of flowers. He didn't know what he was feeling, but he was  _extremely_  angry- no, he was infuriated! Maybe,  _that's_  why Penny didn't want to tell anyone, because she was still interested in seeing other men. She might even have a boyfriend that she wasn't telling him about - she  _was_  great at lying. There was something- raging up inside him, he had  _never_  felt this mad before. He tightened his arm to his side, holding his laptop in its place as his hand crushed the envelopes he was holding.

"Sheldon, calm down," she pleaded, but he didn't care.

He violently shrugged her hand off of him, throwing the crumpled card to the side. He wasn't going to speak, if necessary - he was too mad- and made his way to the elevator. He heard her slowly walking to him, causing him to snap. "Don't follow me!" Sheldon spat, glaring at her shaking state. She didn't deserve to be consoled. She had broke his trust, like what his friends had said from the start. It wasn't often that he got emotional, today was one of those days, but he didn't have to show it. He jammed his finger repeatedly on the close button, and as the doors started to close, he spoke again. "Enjoy yourself,  _Penny_."

Penny stared at the elevator, her tears streaming down her cheeks.

Her nightmare never ended.

* * *

"I love the smell of victory in the morning! Thanks for inviting us to join in on paintball, Shelly!"

Sheldon removed his goggles, placing it in a plastic bag then turned to his friend. "Yes. Three on three was a great idea, Gregg. Had it not been for your shooting skills, Bailey's stealth and enthusiasm to shoot someone, we would have not won." Gregg simply gave him a smile while Bailey gave him a questioning look. "I find it odd that you invited us out, which means that something went wrong or that you're confused. You only call on a number of people when you're troubled with something, and since we haven't even had a normal conversation with you in a year, we don't know what that is. So, spill." Though, his two friends weren't as intelligent as him, they were in a whole different level of their own. It always puzzled him how they knew him so well- like they were reading his mind. Bailey gave good advice that would help him formulate something remarkable, and Gregg was great at cheering him on. Of course, he could get answers all on his own, but with Penny, he didn't know what he was supposed to do. But right now, he had no intention- or desire to talk about her. He just wanted to relieve some tension by sticking to his old routine.

"Not right now," he answered as he slung his bad over his shoulder. "Perhaps later after we've had something to eat."

The fair haired man grinned, "ooh, I am hungry! Maybe we can eat at the Cheesecake Factory! But what about your friends from the office?"

"Don't mind them, they're probably moping on about how they lost." Sheldon answered, opening the shack, "it isn't our fault that they lost." It was a good thing that he had yet to tell the others that Penny was joining, or else Howard would have gone on a hissy fit. After he left Penny's place, he decided to calm his senses at the comic book store. The store owner, Stuart, gave him a thirty percent discount on the new comic books and an extra vintage one for free just because he looked unhappy. What had ultimately calmed him down was when Stuart told him about the Stan Lee meet and greet at the store. He would be going with Leonard and the others, of course. He would get Stan Lee to sign his Batman comic. It was  _brilliant_.

Sheldon then went home to  _his_  apartment, and spent the night playing Wii Bowling. He hadn't completely gotten rid of the rage inside him, but the takeout and the peace and quiet had relaxed him in contrast to the former ambiance of Penny talking about irrelevant things, and room service. But he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in his apartment- it was like he never even lived there. The quiet had seemed a bit unusual to him and leaned on watching Star Wars. For his last step of his "Sheldon's Vulcanic Unwind Program," he called on Gregg and Bailey to join them for paintball. Alex was unable to join them, so the others had been thrilled to have new players. They weren't as thrilled when they got pelted by the ruthless Bailey. Raj had even went so far that he actually screamed in front of her.

Bailey still shot him.

"They said that they were going home, and that they would see you at the office." Bailey informed them as she led them to her car. "I don't get why they were flinching when they saw me. My gun respects  _no one_." The drive to the Cheesecake Factory was uneventful, mostly Gregg talking about how moose was handy.

"So, now that that's over," Bailey sneered, glaring at Gregg, "would you like to finally tell us why you called us?"

The flamboyant man nodded, happily clapping his hands together, "as much as we'd love to believe that you invited us out because you missed us, we know it's not true. What conundrum has got you in a twist, Shelly?"

"Is it that pretty blonde girl we were with? Her name's Penny, I think." Bailey guessed, flipping through the menu. Sheldon gave her a look of surprise which Bailey replied to by rolling her eyes. "We aren't that dumb, Shelly. We both felt it from the moment we first talked to her." Sheldon glared at the two of his friends; how did they know? How much  _did_  they know? It took his friends from the office nearly a year before they discovered about him and Penny. It only took a minute or less for his friends from Texas to find about it. "How did you find out?" Sheldon asked calmly; there was no use lying, they would have quickly figured him out. He closed his menu and placed it on the table- he would have the barbecue bacon cheeseburger- just for today. It wouldn't hurt to break a small part of his routine. Like Penny said, rules  _were_ meant to be broken.

"A normal colleague would have just told us to return to the office in an hour or so; or tell us to come back the next day." Bailey started as the waiter arrived, giving them their orders. She got all of their orders right, barbecue, bacon and cheese on the side, of course. "A normal friend at work would just engage in small conversation, tell us what time you got to and left work.  _Penny_  did none of those. The first thing she did was invite us to her office while waiting for you, and looked so interested on learning more about your past." His friends had some sort of, special power that allowed them to deduce everything about anyone with just a single glance. He always wanted to have that skill, but each time he tried to do it, he failed miserably. He even got chased up a tree by a chicken because he had thought that it was sleeping. Bailey told him that he should just focus on book smarts than street smarts.

It was just like the time he tried to make science out of jokes.

" _Plus_ , she seemed pretty curious and mad when I talked about the time Bailey had a crush on you." Gregg added, staring intently at his nails. "If that didn't scream  _something's going on between them_ , then I don't know what is. Unless of course, she is just some crazy woman that's obsessed with you?" Gregg raised an eyebrow at him and he answered with a small sigh. "No, she is not obsessed with me, but she is," he lowered his voice, hoping that they wouldn't hear it, " _or was_  my girlfriend." There was a combination of a squeal and a declaration of being correct that called the attention of the other customers. They were  _embarrassing_  him.

"Yes, now will you two calm down?" He shook his head at their happy faces- he was the only one who wasn't happy with the revelation. "You're causing a scene."

"We're sorry, we're just really happy for you!" Gregg said as their orders arrived, grabbing the bread from his spaghetti. "It's not everyday that Sheldon - most likely to not have a girlfriend - gets a girlfriend! And a really pretty one! So, what's the problem?" Sheldon neatly stacked his burger together, "I'm thinking of terminating our - non-written down - relationship agreement."

"WHAT?" He wasn't sure who said it louder, but from the looks on their faces, it was Bailey. She reached over and slapped his arm, causing him to yelp. "Ow! Bailey, what was that for?" The dark haired girl frowned, one deeper than usual, and took her fork and stabbed it on her salad. "This is so like you, Sheldon Cooper. The minute you tell us something great you immediately take it back! Why would you even want to break up with her? She seems nice, a bit controlling, but nice. This is your first  _actual_  girlfriend- how long have you even been together?"

"We've been in an agreement for two weeks now, but in retrospect we've been together for a year and three months."

The two stared at him, Gregg deciding to speak first. "Who even breaks up after two weeks? Bailey don't answer that," Bailey raised her hands, concentrating on her salad while Gregg continued. "I think you and Penny should talk about it first, whatever the problem is...?" He knew what it meant when Gregg dragged words out. He wanted to know what happened between him and Penny. As much as he wanted to keep it to himself, he needed to know what to do. He was often a man with many answers, but this time, he just didn't know, and maybe his friends did. "Yesterday morning , she received a call -that I did not know of- then there was a knock. When I went to open the door, there was a trolley filled with flowers from her suitors. I did not let her explain as I was at unease and decided to leave. Which brings us here."

"So, you were jealous?" Bailey shoved a piece of lettuce in her mouth and looked up to see a blush spreading across Sheldon's cheek. "I was not jealous! I was merely insulted by the fact that she agreed to the agreement yet still allows other men to pursue her! I will  _never_  allow myself to participate in some sort of, polygamy."

"One, you're not married, so how can it be polygamy?" Gregg's hand reached to pick a french fry off of Sheldon's plate but was quickly swatted away. "Humph, how mean. Anyway; two, it's bad to lie, Shelly poo. There's nothing wrong about admitting that you were jealous, it just means that you really like her. It's natural to feel that way, you're not an emotionless robot! Even that Spack guy you like has feelings for people. You shouldn't be ashamed to admit that you like someone."

"First of all, it's  _Spock_. Second, a reference to a robot is a compliment, I would be very flattered to be called one. Third, this entire thing has made me realize how utterly unnecessary relationships are. An eye opener, if you will."

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows, unnerved by what Gregg said. It was true, he didn't want to seem like a lesser being. He wanted to  _still_  be Homo Novus, who was better than everything- including human emotions. How could he degrade himself into this? Someone who was so vulnerable and affected to the easiest problem of man? There was once a time where he wasn't like this, where relationships with other people were just a distraction. When women could not affect him in anyway. He strongly wished to return to that time, when he only cared for a small list of people. His family; his two annoying friends, and the people he greatly admired- like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Leonard Nimoy and Stan Lee - who he was ecstatic to meet. Maybe, this problem with Penny was for him to realize that relationships were nothing  _but_ trouble. Yes, that was it! This was an answer to a problem anyone could have- avoid relationships as much as possible. It was genius!

Gregg turned to Bailey, giving her a tired sigh. "What's the point of talking when no one listens?"

"Other than being obsessed with your own voice?" Bailey remarked, taking a sip of her lemonade. "Then try to make them listen." She turned to Sheldon and gave him a blank look. "You know, advice isn't free, especially if you're going to get it from me. But since you're an old friend, and Gregg just isn't blunt enough, I'll do it for free." Gregg gasped, sending her an offended look, which Bailey ignored. "Ever since that phase with your boss' wife you've been traumatized, right?" Sheldon opened his mouth to deny her accusations but was cut of by Bailey waving her hand. "No, don't answer that, you deny  _everything_. I know you had feelings for that lady in your own Sheldon-ish way and that you've never admitted that to yourself. But you have to understand, it's over between you. If there was anything other than her using you. She's  _married_ , what more is there to know?"

Gregg flailed beside her, looking back at forth at Bailey's careless look and Sheldon's surprised-slash-offended-slash-you don't know what you're talking about look. "Bailey, hey, I thought we're not supposed to talk about that?" The normally reserved, nonchalant, dignified woman shrugged, still seemingly ready to push through the sensitive topic. It meant one thing; she was irritated, had enough and had wanted something to progress. "It's been a year and a half - almost two - he  _has_  to move on." Her head snapped towards Sheldon, a vicious look on her face. "You might think that you had feelings that were similar or close to love for that lady, but the fact is, it was infatuation. That's it. If you loved her you would have fought for her, and found a way to be with her no matter what it took. Instead you just sat, moped, made tacky parkas, collected cats and made glow in the dark fish. It's like drug addiction, you have a withdrawal, but once you learned to live without it- it's gone. A bit hard to leave it behind, but it's possible, especially if you're determined enough. Love is more to that, you  _never_  move on, and it will still be with you no matter what happens. Sure, you fall in love with someone else, but it will still be there."

Bailey waited, hoping that Sheldon got the point of what she was saying. It wasn't easy to make him understand simple things like that, and it usually took them being harsh on him. "But that's all in the past, and wounds heal, no matter how deep. Fortunately for you, something- or  _someone_ , has come along."

"And that is?" Sheldon asked, finally deciding to talk.

Bailey crossed her arms, " _Penny_. I knew it from just looking at her. She loves you, it was clear in the way she acted. During our dinner at the hotel, I saw how she looked at you, and that was when I confirmed my theory. I'm not sure what's up with the dates thing, but you gotta let her explain. If you love her back, you'd at least let her talk. Do you love her?"

"I... I don't know," he admitted, causing Gregg's hopeful, and Bailey's proud look to drop. Bailey turned to Gregg, rubbing both of her temples, "I think I love the sound of my voice, too." Gregg nodded, tapping a finger on his chin. "At least we love each other, and we know that Sheldon secretly loves us. Maybe, when we're all old and weak, he'll finally admit it to us!" Bailey sighed, "I think the odds of that happening is zero to one. He'll realize that he loves the blonde first than admitting that."

That was a question Sheldon didn't have an answer to. He had been avoiding since the day Penny told him that she loved him. A month had passed since then, and he sometimes thought about it. There was no basis of love for him to compare to. He loved his family, his treasured comic books, Bailey and Gregg - though he would never tell them that - but her? She was a very important part of his new life, a change he hadn't expected. He  _did_  enjoy being with her, and had grown extremely fond of her. He wished that he knew, then he would be out of the frustrating misery of not knowing- he should know  _everything_. The answer eluded him, and the only clue he had in figuring out the formula was that he had welcomed the change (of her becoming significant to him) without any hesitation. He hadn't even resisted her! She was... change to him - which was not a pun on her name - a giant change that arrived unexpected, upsetting and confusing to him.

However, he was still undecided on whether or not Penny was a good or a bad change in his life. He still had to find out.

* * *

"Oh my god dude, she's coming this way!"

"Maybe, if we don't move, she'll go away."

"She's not a bear!"

"The way she almost killed me, she might as well will be."

"She's still Sheldon's girlfriend, you know. Sheldon defend her!"

"They had a fight, a  _big_  one. I don't think she's still his girlfriend, right Sheldon? You've finally realized that I was right all along?"

"Shut up, Howard! Their problems have nothing to do with you."

"Dude, quiet! She's almost here!" Raj reprimanded, biting down onto his sandwich as Penny walked towards their table. There was a strong aura of tension surrounding their table due to Howard hating Penny, and Sheldon ignoring her. Sheldon had informed them of their little (one sided) fight when Howard had teased him on - how he eloquently puts it -  _fucking_  the satan incarnate. Leonard reprimanded him for it, of course, but Sheldon simply focused on his paperwork. That was when he, Rajesh Ramayan Koothrappali - hopeless romantic and self proclaimed romance expert - realized that Sheldon was distraught by the incident.

Which meant one thing- his friend was in love!

Or not, none of them understood what went on in Sheldon's head.  _But_  in the instance that he  _was_  right that Sheldon was in love with Penny, then he really was an expert in all things romance. He wouldn't be surprised if Sheldon had gotten jealous of all Penny's suitors, with them hiding their relationship and all. His advice for him was to show Penny that she needed  _him_  more than he needed her! It was an excellent plan that worked in every romance movie he knew of. It was the 'I loved you since I first met you but I only realized it now' bit-  _although_ , Sheldon already  _knew_  that Penny loved him... but it would work either way. So he had devised a plan between him, Leonard and Sheldon - and Howard who just insulted the plan - which they all agreed to. Sheldon would make Penny  _jealous_. Not enough for her to go crazy and kill Sheldon, but enough for her to tell him the truth and drop all of those other men.

It truly was a brilliant plan, and this was the first stage of it.

"Hey, guys." The blonde greeted, standing in front of their table. Raj looked up, giving her a small smile while Leonard said a simple hello. Howard rudely snorted - which would have earned a lecture from Alex had she not been on a day off - and Sheldon barely looked up. He was sticking to the plan (or not) and should be able to break Penny down in no time.

"Uh, Howard," she said, causing Howard to look up. The engineer was immediately on the defense, ready for a fight; if he were a dog he would have been back on his haunches, hackles raised, and growling at her like he was going to attack her throat.

"I apologize for everything I've done to you, it really was inappropriate and got a bit out of hand."  _What?_  Howard thought to himself as Penny looked down in... embarrassment? "I'm taking back everything I told you before, I have no right to threaten you and it will never happen again." He stared as she stuck a hand out to him, which he shook in awe. "Friends?" He turned to see Leonard giving him a hopeful look which was to say "come on, end this thing already and move on," while Raj hid a grin. Sheldon, on the other hand, was still typing on his laptop, multitasking between typing and eating his yoghurt. Why wasn't he even looking at him? He should have been the first one to support (or disapprove) of this truce! Sure, he was mad at Penny, but was he really  _that_  mad? Maybe he should have paid more attention when Raj was planning, then he could have realized the depth of Sheldon's petulance.

"Sure," Howard mumbled, tearing his attention from the oblivious man and placing it on the blonde in front of him. "Friends." Penny gave him a small smile then looked at Sheldon for approval. He didn't even look up. With a frustrated sigh, she took a seat in front of him, snatching his laptop away. He didn't look happy, but he didn't look mad. "I request that you return that for I have a deadline to meet, Penny."

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened," she explained, "but didn't you hear me on the phone? I wanted it to be thrown away- it was  _Barbara_  who brought them to the hotel."

He blinked at her, obviously not caring about her reasoning. "It does not change the fact that you are accepting suitors even though we are bound by the relationship agreement that  _you_  altered. I don't think that there is a rule in relationships saying that even if you are - as you say -  _together_ , one may still go on dates with other people."

"I always tell them that I'm taken and that I don't consider them as dates!"

"But you still continue to meet those men. It might not be a date for you, but it  _is_  a date for them." Sheldon roughly grabbed his laptop back, giving her a pointed glare. " _This_  is the end of this discussion, Penny. I believe it is time for you to go."

Penny angrily slammed her fists on the lunch table - causing everyone in the cafeteria to jump in surprise - and stood. "Why won't you just believe me? I've been apologizing to you for  _four_  days now! I've tried calling and texting you but you ignored them. I've waited at your office for hours just to find out from your secretary that you went out to do rounds! I'm not lying, and I'm telling the truth, Sheldon!" She took a deep breath, straightening her posture before glancing back at him. "I would  _never_  cheat on you."

Raj braced himself for what would happen next; Sheldon raised his gaze at her, unmoving while Penny - in his opinion - was grasping on a chance that Sheldon would  _finally_  forgive her. "Shall I ask Matthew, Brandon and Luke about that?" Sheldon's utterly harsh - still in his opinion - remark was followed by an ear deafening scream from Penny and her storming out in irritation. The entire cafeteria went silent after the blonde left; all curious to what had transpired between their boss and the heiress. Due to Sheldon's pick of seating area, they were secluded from everyone else. No one was close enough to hear secrets about the Picobus, and near enough to accidentally infect him with some sort of disease. The latter was the real reason why they sat so far away from everyone, and the former was just an added perk. The only thing others would have heard from the argument was that the two had a misunderstanding. They wouldn't think that it was some sort of lover's quarrel, because he and Leonard made sure of it.

They had spread the news that Sheldon was (secretly) dating Alex - and none of the two knew about it - and reasoned it with the fact that it was kind of scandalous and cliche for the boss and the secretary to have an affair. No one cared, and had gossiped with everyone else. The worst thing that could happen was that people would think that Penny was the other woman... No, they wouldn't since Sheldon seemed too oblivious for that. Even if they did, Raj already had a backup plan.

"Whoa, your girlfriend is scary when pissed!" Howard commented, turning to Sheldon who was staring at where Penny was. "Hello? Earth to Cooper? Are you okay?"

"Leave him alone, Howard," Leonard retorted, shaking his head at the engineer. "I didn't know that your misunderstanding got you that mad, Sheldon." Leonard pushed the forgotten cup of yoghurt towards Sheldon who numbly took it. "I am not mad, just indifferent. I'd rather not talk about it."

Raj nodded, before turning to them with a huge smile. "Now, that the first step is done, ready for the second?"

* * *

"For the third time, no."

"What if I make it an order as your boss?"

"Still, no."

"As an experiment from a trusted mentor?"

"Nope."

"A favor as a close friend?"

Alex crossed her arms as her lanky boss pleaded in front of her. For her  _only_  day off, she decided to spend it as a spa day. On her way home, she found Leonard, Howard, Raj and Sheldon waiting in front of her apartment. Something important, they said, something for work, they insisted. If she had known exactly  _what_  they wanted to talk to her for, she would've just left them out on the curb. Sheldon had insisted that they go on a date, Leonard complimenting that they would look good together, Howard snorting and mentally antagonizing her and Raj simply smiling. She knew that it had something to do with Penny and had downright refused. She wasn't some sort of- decoy! She liked Sheldon, yes, she  _had_  a crush on him, sure, but that was over! Regardless of the gossip that they were together, they were not, and would never be together. She would  _annihilate_  the person who spread that rumor.

"This is a one time thing, okay? I'm not doing this to help you make Miss Penny jealous, but I'm doing this so that you'll understand that this won't prove anything."

Sheldon nodded, pushing the 'agreement' towards her and handing her a pen. "Excellent! Sign here to officialize the statement that you are agreeing to go on a date with me. You may read it, if you will, but I swear that there is nothing that compromises your character or person. Nor will I do anything that does so." She picked the pen up, signing her name on the lines he indicated. "I repeat, this will not help anything, and I'm only agreeing to prove my point."

Howard smiled, standing up from Alex's couch. "The only thing will prove is that Raj's plan will work." She glared at him,  _unbelievable_ , he was still on about the Penny is evil thing. "Really? That's the only reason why you're doing this? Because you want to prove that Penny is as bad as you think?" The engineer frowned, "what? No! I have my own motives-" Leonard stood up, standing in between the two, "alright, that's enough. We have everything settled, let's not fight about it. Sheldon, when do you want the date to happen?" Sheldon glanced at Raj, who nodded in response. "Wednesday. We'll have the date on Wednesday at lunchtime."

Which brought them to lunch, the next day.

Raj had bribed everyone who ate at the cafeteria to eat out for the day. This would be the first and last time that Sheldon would go on a date with Alex. He wanted to make it special, since it was, something she kind of wanted. He then asked the chef, Maria, to cook up something nice. When he said nice, it didn't mean Sheldon's favorite spaghetti with cut up little hot dogs. He opted for something like steak, or fillet mignon, but it would do. They weren't the ones on the date, they would just be chaperoning. He couldn't make the cafeteria  _ultra_  romantic (though he realized that there's nothing romantic about a cafeteria) but settled for something simpler. A candlelight dinne- lunch; but it really wasn't candlelight since no one would let him turn off the lights in the room and it really was just  _a_  candle, nevertheless, it would do. Even with the handful of obstacles, he still thought that it would do.

"Tell me again why exactly you chose me for this thing?" Alex asked as she twirled her fork into her spaghetti. Regardless of Sheldon's choice of food, Raj still did some alterations- a three course meal of his choice. Pumpkin soup with tiny croutons, followed by Sheldon's  _bland_  choice of spaghetti then topped with cobbler he made himself. Sheldon still gave - rather harsh - comments on the menu but Raj didn't care, the man didn't have  _any_  taste.

Sheldon - happily - looked up from his plate, "I had asked Bernadette, with Howard's permission, of course." Howard nodded from the parallel table that they sat in as Sheldon continued. "But she was too busy with a yeast experiment. Then I asked my friend Bailey, the one you all called as ruthless, but she just hung up the phone." He heard Howard commenting on how Bailey really was rude and decided to ignore it; she really was rude. "Finally, I asked Amy out on a date, but she told me, and I quote; as much as I would love to accept, I have no plans on stealing my bestie's man."

Alex raised an eyebrow, confused on who he was talking about. "Who's Amy?" Sheldon pursed his lips, remembering that Alex was absent from the symposium. "Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler is Penny's friend, and a wonderful neurobiologist. You should see her work- never mind that, I'll take you to one of her lectures sometime soon as a thank you for agreeing to this date." The brunette reached for the piece of french bread in front of her. "Uh, that's okay I'm not really into those things. Which reminds me, Mister Cooper, have you realized that this is futile and won't event into anything important?"

"Oh, Alex, stop being a party pooper and just enjoy this!" Raj hissed - he had some wine just for this - pointing his baguette at her. "We all know that you want this, so stop acting like you're not enjoying it! You're such a drag, you know."

"I am not a drag," Alex gritted out, annoyed at the three men who were heckling at the other table. "I just don't agree with what you guys are doing! Instead of turning Mister Cooper against Miss Penny, why don't you just help them solve their problem? And I know that it was you who started the rumor that Mister Cooper and I are dating, Raj!" Sheldon blinked, surprised at the new information. "We're dating?" His secretary shook her head then glared at Raj, "see? Now he's misunderstanding the situation! This is just messing everything up, you should've just did  _this_ ," she gestured to her boss then back at herself, "for them. Some self proclaimed expert on romance, you are."

"What?" Raj dramatically gasped, "I set up this  _oh so_  dreamily romantic date for you and Sheldon over there, and this is the thanks I get? My, my, Alex! Aren't we a bit ungrateful?"

"I can't believe you," Alex sneered, turning back to her still puzzled boss. "Let's just finish this date so that we can move on and I can avoid the three of you."

"What did I do?" Leonard asked, putting down the bread in his hand. "Come on guys, we shouldn't be fighting? We're all friends here trying to help, Sheldon. So let's just enjoy this great meal that Raj planned, help Sheldon and thank Alex for agreeing to help. After this, we'll all see if Raj's plan worked, and if Howard is still crazy." Howard looked up from his meal, "hey! The one time I don't join in the conversation you guys still manage to drag me back in." He glanced at the meatball that was sitting on the edge of his plate, "this  _is_  beef, right?"

"I didn't know that we were dating," Sheldon mumbled, taking another fork-full of spaghetti. "Regardless, I still thank you for agreeing. I am still not sure of the success rate of the plan Raj orchestrated, but I appreciate that you helped. Whether the results be positive or negative, you have been a wonderful friend." Alex shrugged, this was one of the times that her boss complimented her (in his Sheldon-ish way) she might as well soak it in. "I'm kind of curious, what  _is_  this plan that you're all talking about? It would have really helped if you guys told me. The only thing I know is that you and Miss Penny had a fight, and that's it."

"Sorry, Alex, it's confidential until we get results," Howard piped in, transferring the meatballs onto Leonard's plate. Only  _Sheldon_  had little cut up hot dogs in his lunch, and he was right that the meat balls were pork. Raj had been trying to avoid eating beef, and he was trying to keep kosher, even for a day. "But you'll know in time. Like Raj said, savor the moment, pretend it's real and if you don't want that, just enjoy a nice lunch with your favorite boss."

The brunette sent him another deadly look before turning back to her "date." They were right, she shouldn't be acting like that- it was just lunch, and a really nice one at that. She wasn't mad because the date wasn't real, she was mad because they were trying to break Sheldon and Penny! She knew that much. If it had been up to her, she would've just thought of a way for them to make up. It wasn't hard. They could just trap them in a closet or pretend that Penny got him Comic Con tickets- she could handle a lie. She gave them so many suggestions on what to do, but they all shot them down and insisted on  _this_  plan. She really wished she wasn't in this position. If Penny were to see her - knowing how much the blonde hates her - with Sheldon, all hell would come loose.

"So, since none of you are gonna let me in on this," she started, taking a sip from her drink. "Who thought of this menu?"

Sheldon lifted his gaze, swallowing the food in his mouth. "Ooh, banal chitchat used as a conversational iceberg! Terrific, Alex! Well, I personally chose the spaghetti, and Raj intervened by whining about how it should be a three course meal for it to be a valid date."

"Do you really consider this as a  _valid_  date, Mister Cooper?"

He nodded, straightening his posture as he spoke. "It may not be a date for you, but it is a date for me, Alex. And I must say, had the circumstances not been the way they are, I would have asked you for another one. This is an excellent date, and I thank you for it." He gave her a small smile, and she couldn't help but grin. "Thank you, Mister Cooper, I think this is a great date. So, have you realized that this won't lead to anything and that you like Miss Penny more?" Sheldon tilted his head to the side in thought, "hmm, I'm not sure as I have never eaten here in the cafeteria nor gone on a date with her. Although, I think we've gone on a date but I'm just not sure which it is. I think this is the first actual date I've ever gone on."

"Just so you know, this is a great first date," she winked at him, "and you were very charming." Sheldon curtly nodded his head, his smile still on his face. "Yes, and I believe that if there be an award for great dates, you would have one, Alex."

"Really?" They all turned their heads towards the entranced of the cafeteria, where a pissed Penny stood. Raj's mind was reeling- this was it!  _This_  was what he hoped to happen! He made sure that the word that Sheldon and Alex were having a date at the cafeteria made it to Penny. If he didn't, this whole plan would be pointless. "Honestly, are you that mad?" Penny asked as she made her way towards their table. "I can't believe that you're trying to get back at me by using her!"

Alex froze in her spot, startled by the blonde's outburst. So,  _that's_  what this was for. "Uh hey, Miss Penny, nice to see you her-"

"No, don't talk." Penny interrupted, rounding the table to where Sheldon sat. "You, I can't believe you! I already told you that I'm  _not_  cheating on you." Sheldon slowly placed his fork down, giving her a solemn look. "Hello, Penny, fancy seeing you here. Although, I wonder why you're here since I can recall that you have a date today." The three forgotten men sat, closely watching the scene in front of them. The blonde was  _furious_  but Sheldon looked like he just didn't care. Which was exactly what they taught him to do. Step by step, their plan was unfolding and proving that their predictions were correct.

"Sheldon, it's  _Wednesday_  you  _know_  that we have lunch on Wednesdays!" She told him, her face evident of anger. "Just stand up, leave this room with me so that we can go back to normal. I already apologized, Sheldon, and I wasn't lying about what I said."  _A quiver!_  Raj mentally said to himself, noticing how the blonde was close to tears. He really didn't want to see a girl cry, but it was part of the plan. No matter how moving her tears would be, he-  _they_  had to pretend like they didn't care. He hoped that Sheldon would, too. They all knew that his weakness was her.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Penny," Sheldon calmly said, causing Penny to tightly clench her fists. "I am in the middle of my date with Alex, and I would appreciate it if yo-"

"No!" Penny exclaimed, interrupting him. "You're not supposed to be with  _her_ ," she pointed to the brunette who was still quiet. "We're supposed to be out having lunch, together. We're supposed to be  _okay_! I can't count how many times I've said sorry to you, Sheldon," she shakily said, quickly wiping away the tears that had formed in her eyes. She wasn't going to show him that she was getting emotional, she wasn't doing anything wrong... right? She even apologized! She was trying to fix things, wasn't that the right thing to do? Why was he  _torturing_  her? "I meant every word I said. I'm not even sure if running after you is the right thing to do, but I am. I didn't arrange those dates, you  _have_  to believe me. I really wouldn't do that to you,  _never_. I don't know how to make you believe me, I don't know how to make things right, but I'm trying. Just, give me a chance."

Raj bit his lip, resisting the urge to be swayed away by the emotion. He could see Sheldon trying his hardest to ignore her - he knew that he was a softy for tears - and to put up a cold front. It must have been hard for him, but he promised to stick to the plan so he did. Raj turned to the other two, Leonard was wiping his glasses with his shirt and Howard was just looking down. Penny was telling the truth, and seemed hurt from what she saw. Even Howard looked like he was riddled with the guilt of doubting her (which he did) and seemed like he was actually sympathizing with her. He felt his heart slowly getting crushed as Penny furiously wiped away the tears from her eyes and how Sheldon looked at her. His features were hard, but his eyes were soft, as if he was ready to stand up and tell Penny,  _"there, there."_

"Penelope, there you are!" They all snapped out of the depressing trance they were all in before turning towards the entrance where Penny had been, earlier. An older version of Penny and a younger version of Wyatt waved at them, with an unknown man standing behind them. "Mark? Barbara? What are you doing here?" Penny asked, shaking the tears out of her eyes. This was no good. She knew  _who_  the man behind her siblings were, and with the current situation they were all in, this would cause things to get worse.

Barbara smiled, briskly walking towards them as the two men followed. "We were looking  _everywhere_  for you! It was a good thing that someone saw you go here and told us." She stopped a few steps away from her before realizing the table in front of her. "Oh my! Am I really seeing this?" She (dramatically) placed a hand on her mouth and rounded the table to gawk at Sheldon and Alex. "You two are on a date, aren't you? How  _cute_! Mark, come over here and look at how cute they are!" Her brother snickered as he followed her instructions. "Well, you're right there, Barbs. I didn't believe the rumors at first, but now that I'm seeing it with my own two eyes... You guys look great together! And you both have blue eyes, that means blue eyed babies!"

Barbara gasped, slapping Mark roughly on his chest. "Mark! It's too early for that!" She paused, blinking before sighing, "but now that I think about it, their baby's eyes really will be blue! What a gorgeous family you'd be!" Alex coughed wildly while Sheldon merely stared at the nosy woman and glanced at Penny who looked like she was close to killing her sister. She  _was_  telling the truth about how annoying her sister was.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here." Penny gritted out, ignoring how her long nails were close to scarring her palm. Mark tapped Barbara's shoulder, jerking his thumb to where the forgotten man stood. "Barbs just got a bit distracted. We came here to bring Luke for your date. He's a bit nervous, so we accompanied him out here." The aforementioned man stepped closer, a sheepish grin forming on his charming face. "Uh, yeah, I was afraid to just go to your house to pick you up, so I called on your brother." The man scratched his arm as he noticed a pair of blue eyes staring him down. "I thought that you might have, uh, forgotten about our date."

Sheldon stood, grabbing Alex's hand (which did not go unnoticed by the others) and pulled her to his side. "Ah, yes, Alex," he turned to his friends, urging them to stand, "men, shall we have dessert out? My treat?" The three men mindlessly nodded, hurriedly standing and marching towards the exit. "Let's take my car," Leonard announced as they made their way out, "we'll meet you there!" If they stayed there any longer, hell would break loose either from Penny or Sheldon's anger. None of them wanted to see that, and they could tell that Sheldon wanted to leave to calm his nerves. Why did their plan have to be sabotaged by the two? And, why did Sheldon have to suddenly get jealous? Had he remained calm and ignored the other guy, the plan would've worked.

Sheldon was getting back at Penny for supposedly cheating on him by making her jealous, and Penny was getting back at him for making her jealous by making him jealous. If they stayed and the previous thought happened, they would be stuck in an infinite cycle of someone making someone jealous. That would've been too exhausting.

"We must leave," Sheldon announced, glancing at Barbara and Mark, "have a good date, Penny." He ushered Alex out of the cafeteria and made their way to where the others were, apologizing to the brunette for suddenly dragging her out.

Penny fought the urge to go after Sheldon and Alex. It wasn't supposed to end like this- he was supposed to forgive her! She could see it in his face; he would finally believe her. Then her  _siblings_  arrived and ruined everything. Maybe, that was what her dream was telling her. She was supposed to tell the truth, and this was the time to tell the truth. She couldn't take it anymore, she just wanted to go back to the way things were with Sheldon. Why was it that every single time she reached a certain stage of content, something would happen to tear her and Sheldon apart? It really was unfair, she just wanted to be happy.

But... it wasn't like she wasn't the reason  _why_  everything happened.

"I was about to suggest a double date," Barbara chimed in, sighing as she faced her brother. "But I guess he had something important to do. So, Luke, Penny, are you ready for your date?"

"No, I'm not going on a date," Penny replied, crossing her arms.

"Excuse me?" Her sister raised a skeptic eyebrow. "You heard what I said, I'm not going on that date, or any other date set by you, for that matter." She glanced at her sister then to her brother then finally at her date. Barbara frowned, angrily huffing before stepping towards her. "Penny, it's not like you have anything important to do. Plus, dear Luke is already here, you're not going to turn him down on the spot are you?"

"I will, and have already done the same to  _every_  guy you set up with me." Penny revealed, causing the three to be surprised. She didn't care, they needed to know the truth, she  _needed_  to tell the truth. She owed it to herself, to the innocent men she would be turning down and to Sheldon. She brought him to this situation - due to her stupidity that she just realized - and she would take him out of it. "Luke, I'm sorry, but I already have a boyfriend." The man frowned, then shrugged, "it's okay, I already had a feeling that you did when I saw you here." He gave her a small smile before walking towards the exit.

"Luke? Where are you going?" Barbara frantically called. "Going home," Luke answered, waving as he left the cafeteria. The older sister hissed, turning to the younger one. "Look what you did! Lying just because you didn't like him? That's low, even for you, Penelope."

"I  _have_  a boyfriend, Barbara." Penny sternly said, "I wasn't lying."

"Yeah? Who is it? Prince William? Maybe, George Clooney?" Her older sister sarcastically asked, causing Mark to shake his head. His sister had gone crazy, and he knew it. He did understand  _why_  Barbara was doing this, though. Six years ago, his older sister had been forced to marry a wealthy and known businessman so that the companies would have a strong bond. But that wasn't their parents' choice - it was Barbara's. It was stupid, but she was too determined to get the company back on top. Then she realized that she didn't want the company, and that she was wrong. Barbara thought that Penny would never be able to marry someone who wanted nothing other than inheriting the company. So, she set up wealthy businessmen that actually liked her, and would not be out to steal Penbark. She was doing it because she cared for her sister, and her future.

"It's Sheldon."

Penny glared at her sister who was wildly laughing. "Why the hell are you laughing?" Barbara blinked, a wide grin still on her face. "Because, I didn't know that you could be delusional! Didn't you see him with his secretary earlier? They were on a  _date_  Penny, if he was your boyfriend, he wouldn't be publicly dating someone else."

"He did that, because he's mad at me for going on those," Penny furrowed her eyebrows, glaring at her sister. " _Stupid_  dates you set up! He saw those damned flowers that you forced to be taken to my floor, and he got angry! Now, he's getting back at me by making me jealous! And it's all because of  _you_ , Barbara. You've ruined  _everything_!" Barbara blanched, turning to Mark for confirmation before turning back to Penny. "If that's true, why didn't you tell us? You could've told me when we talked about it. Heck, if you didn't hide your relationship, then you wouldn't be in this mess."

"You said it yourself," Penny mumbled, wanting to end the conversation as quickly as possible. "Dad would get mad if he knew that I was going out with Sheldon. Or anyone working in this company, for that matter."

Mark nodded in understanding, "the incident from six years ago. But that doesn't justify your actions, Penny. Regardless of the incident, you've been targeting  _every_  vice president Penbark has had in the last five years. Plus, the high profile stint you had with the last vice president, Chris. Dad was seriously mad when you filed that sexual assault thing, and the man didn't even do anything wrong." Penny lowered her gaze, avoiding her siblings' judgmental ones. "But," her brother continued, "if that is the case, dad has nothing against Cooper. You do know that he's planning on making him the next CEO because you don't want to, right?" She shook her head, unaware that the rumors were true. "Dad really likes him, and even if he knew that you and him have a relationship, he wouldn't mind. I think he might even be happy, then he wouldn't have to worry about you or the company."

"That is true," Barbara agreed, turning to her younger sister. "Dad has said nothing but good things about Mister Cooper. If you never had a relationship with him, dad might even adopt him. It would have been nice to have an intelligent brother."

"I'm ignoring that comment," Mark snarled at Barbara. "The point is, if you really  _are_  in a relationship with him, I suggest that you go after him. Fix things with him. He's a bit odd, but he's a good guy. And you never know, if you don't patch things up with him, he might really date his secretary."

Penny sighed, she really should have just been honest. If she told the truth, this wouldn't happen and everything would be okay. She needed to tell the truth to Sheldon, the  _whole_  truth. "I will, and I won't stop until he forgives me. I'm sorry for lying, but I was just afraid that dad would get mad like he did six years ago. I might not be able to handle losing Sheldon."

"Then go," Barbara encouraged, pointing towards the door. "I'd go quickly if I were you, before he changes his mind." Penny weakly smiled at her siblings before running out the cafeteria. She didn't know how she was going to get Sheldon to forgive her, but she was going to wing it. What she said was true, she wasn't going to stop until he tells her to. Which was very possible, but she would know if he was lying. She was going to tell him the truth on why she was hiding their relationship, she was going to make him understand. She was going to do what she was supposed to do.

"So, you really think that she's with Sheldon and not just trying to get out of a date?" Barbara inquired, taking a seat at one of the tables.

"Well, if she wasn't then she's really good at lying." Mark told his sister, grabbing an untouched piece of bread. "But, I saw how Cooper flared when he saw Luke, he wasn't too happy. Plus, did you see how Penny seemed like she had just cried? I think she confronted him during the two's date, pretty scandalous if you ask me."

Mark handed her a piece of the bread, "how about you dad? You heard everything right?"

Wyatt stepped out from the kitchen entrance, a grim look on his face. "I did."

* * *

Sheldon sighed through the phone as he took a seat on his old spot. "No, Raj, I will not give you my Batman issue. It's not my fault that you didn't think of getting Stan Lee to sign your Batman issue." He slowly opened the packet of Red Vines while turning his TV on. "No, you may not do the same. Ask Stuart- well yes, I would consider your offer but no. I cannot understand why you keep on insisting to trade with me, can't you annoy Leonard instead?"

He looked around his apartment, ignoring Raj's squawking over the phone. It had been a while since he had stayed in his apartment for at least a week. Ever since the start of his connection with Penny, he had temporarily lived at her penthouse. Though, he did enjoy the privacy and security he had at the hotel, he did miss his apartment. 4A was what used to be home to him- the two bedroom apartment allowed him space for his collections and whenever his family came to visit. The broken elevator, the long climb up the stairs, the holed up laundry room and the neighbors he barely interacted with- that was what home  _was_. Now, it seemed like he was expecting too much from the old apartment building. When he entered, he was expecting a luxurious lobby filled with guests and employees roaming around. Instead of a key only operated elevator, he was met with a somehow tiring staircase. And his apartment- what used to be too much space for him became cramped compared to the floor wide suite. He didn't intend to miss his temporary living quarters, but it was inevitable as he had grown accustomed to it.

"Sheldon, dude? Are you even listening?" Sheldon pulled his phone off of his ear, glaring at it as Raj's accent boomed through the speakers. "Yes, I was listening and my answer is still no." There was a knock on his door, forcing him to stand up. "Look, the answer will always be no. I will not change my mind. I will see you at work tomorrow. Goodbye." He ended the call, placing it inside his pocket as he opened the door, frowning at his visitor.

"I'm sorry?" Penny said, holding up a plastic bag. He gave her a snarl, intent on closing the door. There was no time for interruptions like he-

"Wait!" She yelled, jamming her foot at the door and pushing it open. He stumbled backwards, quickly regaining his balance as she entered the apartment. "Please, just let me explain."

"I can get you arrested for trespassing, I can even shoot you if I wanted to," he warned her, returning to his spot on the couch. She took a deep breath, he was going to let her defend herself! "I know you're not gonna do that, Sheldon." She took a seat at the end of the couch, placing the plastic bag in between them. "I've brought peace offerings. There's some licorice, chocolate pudding, milk duds and a transporter thingy from that series you really like." His head snapped towards the plastic bag, reaching out to pull a box. "It's Spock's transporter! Where did you get this?"

She blinked at him - had she known that a toy would do trick, she would've bought tons of them. "Uh, I went to that comic book store that you like and asked for something rare. The guy gave me that, if I known that you liked it that much I would've bought you the other one."

"You'd do that?" Sheldon asked, his eyes sparkling in delight.  _Toys_ , she said to herself, she needed to remember how important it would be. "Uh sure, I'll text the owner right away- he promised to give me a discount if I bought the other one, too." He frowned, placing the box back into the plastic bag. "No! It's not like that, well, yeah he asked me if I wanted to go on a date but I said no! Then he told me that it was okay and that he'd give me a discount if I bought the other one instead. I said that I wasn't sure if you'd want the other one, but I said that I'd think about it. Please, don't get mad."

"I'm not mad." He insisted, turning back to the television. "I consider jealousy insulting to you and degrading to me. I have no right to doubt or inquire about the miscellaneous things you do."

"Sheldon, look, I know you're mad," she started, placing a hand on his. "But please just let me explain, okay? The whole dating thing, that was Barbara's idea. It was something about me ruining the company's image by sleeping around. I was against it- but she just kept forcing it on me. I couldn't just  _not_  show up, those men were future CEOs and would be investors. But I did tell each and every one of them that I had a boyfriend that I loved very much, and they understood that. I couldn't tell you about it, because you'd think that I was cheating on you- but it was wrong for me to keep it from you. I just didn't want you to think that I was a cheater, but I just didn't know how to explain it to you. No matter how I say it, it just sounds like I'm not contented with you. But that's not true, because I  _love_  you, Sheldon."

"Then why?"

"Why what?"

"Why were you so intent on hiding our relationship?"  _The truth, Penny_ , she reminded herself as Sheldon stared at her. She took a deep breath, recalling the exact events. "It was six years ago, back when I was seventeen and was working at Penbark as a summer job. Since, my dad wanted me to inherit the company one day, he introduced me to the board members. That was when I met the current vice president," she saw him raise an eyebrow, seemingly curious at what happened. "He was a few years younger than my dad, and was one of his closest friends. I couldn't remember him, though, but I knew who he was. I thought of him like an uncle, he would teach me the ways in the company, and who to talk to when you needed something. He was something like a mentor- then everything changed. One day, he suddenly asked me if I wanted to go out on a date- and of course, I said no. He was persistent, and I wanted to tell my dad about it, but he threatened me. He said that he would ruin the company, and I didn't want that! Then, he became scary..."

Penny paused, her eyes going wide in horror as she remembered how the man had cornered her in her old office. How he told her that they would keep it as their little "secret" and that there wasn't anything wrong with it. She could still feel the anger and fear that she felt when he told her that he had had enough. She was shaking- she realized when Sheldon placed a hand on her arm. It was a memory she decided to hide away - and if she could - forget permanently, but she had to tell  _someone_. It was only her family who knew of it, and sometimes, she felt like they taunted her because of the mistake. "I- I was so scared, then my dad arrived with security. He immediately fired him, and had called the cops- but the man had already ruined Penbark's reputation. Our company had gone down the charts because of the rumor he spread, and he gave away the investors that my day gave him to Calder. We needed to do something, because of my stupidity."

"Didn't your father start up investments in the east to save the company?" She turned to Sheldon, he no longer looked like he was mad or doubting her. Her dad must have told him about Penbark's "dark days," but the real reason the company was saved was barely told to everyone. "No, that's not the reason the company was saved. It was  _Barbara_ , she had forced herself into a marriage to Hank, who had just been made the CEO of his father's company. Hank had had a crush on my sister since the start of time, and because of his power, and our falling company, Barbara married him. Barbara really didn't like him - at all - but it was the only was  _she_  knew how to save the company. Hank was more than willing to help us - with or without Barbara, but I guess she married him to seal the deal or something. I think she's even gone a little insane because of it."

"But what does that have to do with me?" Penny sighed, he was right, it didn't have anything to do with him. Sheldon wasn't there six years ago and he wasn't that man who had ruined everything. Sheldon didn't do anything wrong - and so did some of her former dogs - and she should have seen that from the start. If only Sheldon arrived six years ago, maybe none of this mess would have happened. "I started the whole 'dog' thing because of that incident- after two years, though. I still tried college and dropped out." He frowned at her, he always disapproved of her dropping out of college-  _community_  college. He didn't insist much on her returning, but he sometimes mentioned it. "I found out from Mark, that the man had been planning on taking over the company from the very start. I don't know how he planned on using me, but he did. I didn't want anything like that to happen again- Barbara was so unhappy. Barbara never nagged me on the fact that she gave up her life just to fix my mistake, but I know that she's setting up those dates to get back at me. Or maybe she's setting me up with all those people so that I don't make the same mistake again. That's the main reason why I got Chris fired. I had overheard him on the phone with someone at Calder- he was telling them about our company's projects for the year."

Sheldon blinked, he knew that incident! He had been the one who had drafted down the plans of their company spy! He was about to tell Penny about it when she spoke again. "Me and my dad have some trust issues because of the incident six years ago. I didn't tell him the real reason of why I got Chris fired, cause I knew that he'd get mad at me- it was just like six years ago. I don't know why I'm hiding our relationship, it's just that I'm scared that they'll be disappointed in me, again. Mark even joked that if we got together and we broke up, I would have driven off another vice president. To be completely honest, I had doubted you before, especially since you were from Calder. I even thought of a plan on how to fire you if you did get too suspicious. But then I got to know you, and I realized that you weren't that bad- and my dad loves you and I realized that it was wrong to have even doubted you."

"And that I,  _I_ love you," she met his gaze, "and I'm not gonna hide us anymore. Mark and Barbara already know about you, and I'll tell dad, too. Please,  _please_  give me another chance and forgive me, Sheldon. I know I'm not the best girlfriend out there or even a good friend, plus let me show you that I can change! I was stupid back then, and I didn't know what I was thinking. If I do something stupid again you can break up with me, or I'll move far away so that you won't have to see me at the office. I know I sound desperate and pathetic, and that's because I am, and it's because I can't lose you. Just give me one more chance, and I swear I'll be the best girlfriend there is!"

Sheldon stared at the blonde groveling in front of him.  _So, Howard was right, she was going to get me fired_ , he thought to himself. If he forgives her, they would go back to their old routine. They would return to her suite, have room service for dinner while talking about work or things that interested her, they would watch a movie or show or play HALO, then if he's  _unlucky_ , coitus would follow after. Then they'd go to sleep and he'd be bothered by her snoring, but would soon drift to sleep. He would wake her up - for work - and his scheduled breakfast would be outside in the hall and they'd eat before going to work. She would say something irrelevant then he would teach her something that she wouldn't care about and she'd respond by driving faster. Once they'd reach work, they'd pretend like they were barely friends and would only catch up at lunch on Wednesdays. Then once work had ended, they'd reunite and repeat the cycle. That was what his routine had turned into, and he had never noticed how the change didn't irk him.

If he rejected her, she would leave his apartment and return the few things that he placed in hers. They would probably terminate their friendship, and their little rides to the office would end. He'd return here in his apartment, and life would go on. Penny wouldn't get him fired - he thinks - but they would probably interact less. It didn't seem too bad once he thought about it carefully, but something crept inside his mind, messing with his thoughts. Once they terminate their relationship, Penny would be free to date. Luke, Matthew, Brandon and various other men that she previously turned down or have yet to meet, would be ecstatic to have a chance of dating Penny. Maybe she would like one of them and become his girlfriend- then that man would occupy his former presence in her life, and would be the one to be with Penny. That thought  _alone_  made him want to continue building the laser he had once started when he was a kid, to destroy any of the possible suitors Penny had. It was degrading to admit it, but he was jealous. Jealous of the man that would replace him. Putting her cons aside, Penny was a  _very_  important person in his life, that's presence he treasured. It took a lot for him to get accustomed to her entering his life, and it would take a lot for him to forget about her. She was a huge change that he had welcomed without any hesitation, and had even grown fond of the chaos that was Penny. He wasn't going to let her go now that he was more than fine with her in his life.

Plus, he believed that even in the various alternate worlds that he existed in, Penny was in every single one of them.

"The transporter," Sheldon said, gesturing to the box, "and the second you will get me is enough, Penny. I apologize for doubting you, and it was wrong for me t-" he was cut off as Penny tackled him, pinning him down on the couch. Chaos, that was Penny was, but he could deal with it, and he could surely keep her orderly. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" He tried to push her off as she started kissing all over his face, "Penny, this is not necessary and I have no intentions of doing anything sexual with you here in my apartment and  _especially_  not on my spot. Please control your overly active libido!" She pulled away, grinning down at him, and he shook his head at how happy she had become. Just moments ago, she was in a state of sadness now she was grinning from ear to ear. The tears were still there in her eyes, but he was unsure if they were still sullen. "I'm just happy that you've finally forgiven me. I thought that you were going to reject me, and even if you did I'd still annoy you until you forgive me. You don't know how much I missed you... I promise to never break your trust, Sheldon." He gently patted her shoulder, finally pushing her off. "Yes, well, I am to expect that of you. Now, please, allow me to enjoy my last few hours here before you forcibly drag me back to your place. I doubt that you'd let me watch Star Trek in peace."

The blonde moved beside him, scooting until there wasn't any distance between them before laying her head on his arm. Sheldon glared at her - which she ignored - and simply sighed. This woman would be the death of him. "Can't deny that I'm going to force you to return, but that's mainly because - like me - my place has missed you. Come to think of it, this is only the second time I've been here in your apartment." Penny looked up at him, "I think the apartment in front of yours is vacant, what do you think of me moving in?" He shook his head, handing her the bag of licorice, "it's taken, now please be quiet and allow me to watch my movie. Besides, I don't think I'd prefer you as my annoying neighbor, and I know that you detest the distance that would be separating us." She took a piece of licorice, angrily biting off of it, "oh yeah? Why wouldn't you? I'd be really nice and outgoing, then I'll probably hang out here all the time then you'll soon fall in love with me cause I'm so irresistible. It already happened to us, and I think it's possible to happen to us in those alternate universe world things that you love to think about. Am I right?"

Sheldon shrugged, he really didn't care about what she was blabbing about. "Yes, you are, but I doubt that it would happen in the way you want it to. Besides, I'm fine with how the way things are, Penny. There is  _no_  reason to change it." He felt her shift beside him, snuggling towards him. As long as she didn't annoy him - and didn't repeat this little act - he would be okay with it. "Yeah, I like you the way you are, too, Sheldon. Just would be nice to know how we are in those universes you talk about- you probably like me in all of them. But don't worry, I'm sure the Pennys like you just as much." She gave him a small smile before turning her gaze to the television and he simply shook his head.

He hated change; but sometimes, change was good.


	14. Magic of New York

"I can't believe you made me wear a wig just to dress up as Wonder Woman- it's not like it matters." Penny muttered as Sheldon sat at the edge of her bed, handing her a bowl.

"It  _does_  matter as there has never been a time nor a universe that Wonder Woman was a blonde," he corrected, eyeing her naked form as she took a spoonful of ice cream. "I'd also appreciate it if you didn't eat in bed, Penny. You must be a pain to the laundry staff." She scoffed as he settled beside her, pointing the spoon at him, "I'm not as messy as you think! Unbeknownst to you, I'm the one who cleans up when you're not around." Her eyes widened as the ice cream dripped onto his arm, earning a look of disapproval from Sheldon. "Yes, I think you deserve the award for cleanliest person in town."

She watched as Sheldon moved towards the end table, grabbing a handful of tissues before furiously scrubbing his arm. "I think your friends hate me less," the blonde commented from behind him, "Leonard and Raj were really nice to me- they told me all about comic books and Howard was actually civil! He even thanked me when we won best costume, but I think he's still out to get me." Sheldon nodded, returning to his previous position and turning to her. "Wolowitz did say something about how we would've won even without you, but Raj said that he was happy that we won. I think the trophy will look great in my office, don't you think?"

"Yeah, I guess so, it was a nice looking trophy. By the way, I was wondering  _why_  you had a black wig. Do you have some sort of dark haired fetish, or something?" If that was true, Alex was a bigger threat than she thought. She took another bite of ice cream before extending the spoon to Sheldon who glared at the utensil filled with chocolate. "That wig does not belong to me, it's  _Howard's_. I'm not sure what he uses it for, but Raj sometimes has it. I would also prefer if you take that spoon away from me." Penny cringed at the number of things that the engineer and the foreigner could have used the wig for. "Well, that just disgusted me. But if you like dark haired girls I can dye my hair. Dark hair would suit me, I think. What do you prefer- black or brown?"

Sheldon sighed from beside her, pulling up the sheet to cover their bodies. He was often irritated when Penny hinted at Alex. Although he was very fond of his secretary, he had no feelings - whatsoever - for her. In the past few weeks, Penny had randomly dropped questions about his relationship with the brunette. It ranged from, "how's your secretary?" to (on her more  _emotional_  days), "if you like her why can't you just tell me? I'll understand- I won't, but, you get it!" It became worse when just a few days back, he, Penny and Amy went out to lunch. Amy then proceeded to tell her "bestie" about how much she enjoyed taking Sheldon to her lectures. Penny had dragged him back to the hotel to - as she so crudely put it - "fuck him senseless." He wasn't sure how he was supposed to convince his  _girlfriend_  that he had no intention of dating anyone else. Penny was still skeptical about his date with Alex- though, she was a bit less dubious nowadays, but she still was.

"I shall repeat to you something I heard Bernadette telling Howard; jealousy doesn't suit you." He saw her roll her eyes, shoving another spoonful of dessert in her mouth. "But if you must know - and if this shall finally end this matter of discussion - I prefer you as a blonde." Penny smiled - he hoped that would  _really_  get her to at least forget her false suspicion of him. He  _was_  telling the truth, she looked aesthetically pleasing as she already was, there was no reason to change that. However, she  _could_  refrain from the junk food; he had finally seen a picture of her mother and the bowl of ice cream wasn't helping. "Maybe, you can dress up as Cat Woman next time. Michelle Pfeiffer was great as her- we can't always be the Justice League regardless of the fact that you as Wonder Woman helped us win."

"Isn't that Batman's girl?" She shifted her body to face him, leaning her head on the headboard as he nodded. "I don't wanna be paired up with Howard -  _eww_  - but I'm sure he wouldn't want to be associated with me. Can't you be Batman if I dress up as Cat Woman?" Sheldon gave her a knowing look, "and allow Koothrapali - who has been moaning about how he hates being Aqua Man - to be the Flash? I don't think so. The four of us had once decided to go dress up for the comic book store's halloween party and we all came out as the Flash. It took a lot of persuading for them to permanently make me the Flash. Plus, there were four other groups there that had a Wonder Woman who completely ruined the poor, fictional woman's image for me. So, the answer is no- though the chances of us doing another franchise is very likely."

Penny placed the bowl down, moving closer to him. "Do you think that," she placed a hand on his shoulder as she shamelessly stroked her leg along the length of his. "It's possible for Wonder Woman and the Flash to have something going on between them?" He furrowed his eyebrows at her lucid attempt to entice him,  _again_. Why was he the one who was stuck with the "big ol' five" seductress? Surely, his friends were the ones who wished that they would meet a woman of such characteristics - not that he wanted them to be with Penny. Absolutely not! He may not be much of a fan of her uncouth habits (that she constantly dragged him into), but he accepted her the way she was, and wouldn't change anything.  _Well_ , it would be nice if she was a bit tidier, and was less vulgar... and had a less active libido- but overall, it was her quirks that made him emotionally attached to her.

If one of his friends (or others) so much as talks about her sexually, he would, without a doubt, find a way to blow up their heads.

"If this is - again - one of your suggestions for us to go as characters that are romantically involved," Sheldon cleared his throat, slightly moving her leg away from his. "Then we may dress up as Leia and Han Solo- though you would still need to wear a wig. Or Anakin and Padme Amidala; however you would  _still_  need to wear a wig and I would much rather prefer being Darth Vader. If you prefer more of a fantasy setting, we can do  _Game of Thrones_. You'd look great as Cersei, being blonde and all, but I detest Robert and the incestuous Jaime. You'd also be perfect as Daenerys! But you would still need a wig... I could go as Daario or Jorah as I have no intentions of being Khal Drogo even if he is ki-" he was cut off by Penny roughly placing a hand on his chin before turning it to face her. "Must you always be so lascivious right  _after_  coitus? Don't be too surprised if I become languid for paintball tomorrow." Penny smirked, pulling the sheet off of them and tossing it to the side and moving to hover over him. "Then I guess I'll just have to shoot everyone out of the way just to make sure that we win." She straddled him; her bare bottom now resting on top of his thighs. "That shack seems like a good place to have some fun."

"I still fail to see why you must dirty the most innocent places," he raised an eyebrow as he felt her place her hands on his shoulders; slowly rubbing into his skin. "I don't know, maybe it's cause I want to have some fun. Maybe, its cause of you- who knows? You should get used to it by now, sweetie." His breathing was becoming harder and hers was feathering over his face. She leaned forward softly, pressing her cheek against his and he felt his erection rapidly growing. How was he supposed to, as she said, get used to it? It took him a year to teach himself to not succumb to  _any_  type of sexual desires, then suddenly Penny arrives and makes him forget that he ever tried to do so. It's not that he isn't accustomed to her wanton desires, it was just that she always got him off guard. Just the other day, he was simply cleaning his paintball gun when Penny had jumped him, wanting to have coitus. Again, he wasn't sure if he was lucky or not to have a girlfriend who was so... demanding.

"But I think I like you better this way," she whispered before turning her head gently, pressing her lips onto his. A groan escaped from her throat when his mouth opened under hers immediately. In an instant, her hands were around his neck and her lips were parted over his.

She tasted like chocolate, he realized after a moment. The lingering sensations of ice cream were present on her tongue, making it cold and slick against his own. He had the urge to push her off of him, tell her to wash her mouth and rid him of the taste- but he just couldn't stop kissing her. The Sheldon he knew three years ago would have said that kissing was icky, and would have been disgusted at the mere thought of it. Now, here he was, close to engaging coitus (again) with the attractive blonde that was his girlfriend.  _Girlfriend_ , that alone would have made his mother throw a party with everyone from their town. Many had doubted that he would never even be in a relationship - including himself - with his brother even betting the car, that he got from their father, that he would die alone. It seemed as if his brother would be saying goodbye to the car he loved. He shuddered against her as she fought back his tongue with much enthusiasm. Her lips were playing tortuous tunes on his mouth, her hips were grinding mercilessly into his erection, and her fingers had left their haven in his hair and were now sliding down his chest.

Sheldon growled into her when he felt her fingers ran down his chest. He groaned again as she slid those wicked digits down his abdomen; her nails scraped across, forming angry pink lines where ever they went. He often cursed those long, sharp and delicate nails that gave him various scars all over his body. Sure, her nails were pleasing in their own way, but he would prefer it if they were trimmed- even just a little bit. When he did tell her that, she laughed at him then asked him what color looked best on her. What that had to do with anything, he didn't know, but when he commented that red suited her, she suddenly kissed him and announced that she would only be buying red nail polish. Which was probably a lie, since her nails were a bright shade of blue. He wasn't as observant to those type of things when he was with  _her_ , and he sometimes wondered why he had changed. Her hands disappeared for a minute but her mouth remained constant; allowing him to solely concentrate on her chocolate tasting mouth.

Until something cold hit his chest.

"Penny, what was that?" He asked as he tore his mouth away from hers. His blue eyes connected with her bright green eyes that were filled with desire before noticing her rapid heartbeat. It was then that he felt something cold sliding down his chest. Momentarily ignoring the seductress in front of him, he grimaced at the lumps of chocolate ice cream that was slowly melting down his stomach. "Penny, what in the world are yo-" he was, again, interrupted but this time, by the blonde pressing her mouth onto him and lapping up every bit of the ice cream.

Sheldon couldn't think, he couldn't breathe - was this what she met by 'fucking him senseless?' He was just staring blankly out into space while Penny licked ice cream off of his body. His skin was on fire where ever she touched; his mind going numb as he felt her fingers joining in the exploration by massaging his sides while she continued to pleasure him with her tongue. The delicate pad of her tongue slid against his smooth skin, over the erratic beating of his heart, and over the surface of his sternum. She moved up to his neck and nibbled at his pulse, which he knew, must have been beating embarrassingly fast. He shuddered when she moved up to play with his earlobe and the sides of his jaw- her lips were gently tugging at his skin while her hands were still sliding over every inch of his body.

Finally, her lips reached his and she kissed him hard. His stunned mind—barely comprehending what had just happened—only knew enough to kiss her back. Their tongues entangled, causing her to moan when his hands moved away from their position on her hips. One went up to grip her hair and one arm locked around her waist and pressed her chest against his. She could feel his racing heartbeat meet hers, and his hard erection pressing against her skin. Suddenly, and without saying a single word, he surged forward and rolled her onto her back. A surprised squeak came from her mouth and she gasped when Sheldon hovered above her. His eyes were intensely hard on hers and he saw the shiver that it sent down her body. His jaw clenched and she slowly allowed a grin to appear on her face.

"And just a second ago, you were against this." She smirked, innerly laughing at the animalistic stare he was giving her. "I never knew that you we-" it was her turn to be cut off as he spread the cold ice cream over her torso. Sheldon hungrily swirled his tongue around her nipples, tasting her unique flavor while the ice cream enhanced it almost to an unbearable level. Her hands moved up into his hair and gripped hard while breathy moans came from her throat. His tongue ran over her entire chest, taking in lumps of ice cream as well as tiny trails that dripped down the sides of her body. She crooned and keened under him as he worked. He smoothed his way between her breasts—once he had left the offending mounds thoroughly suckled and abused—and came to the delicate dip of her hard stomach. He lapped up any juices that had taken refuge in her belly button and proceeded to smother her sides with wet, hot, open-mouthed kisses, just to catch any trails he might have missed.

She groaned his name and he uncharacteristically smiled. One of his hands left her body and felt along the sides of the bed. His searching fingers finally located the bowl of ice cream and tugged it towards them once again. Sheldon moved his head up her body and began to kiss her entire form. Nothing was left unexposed as he let his tongue explore her delicious curves. He could hear her panting harder than ever as he swirled around her nipples with his tongue. The taunt peaks left nothing to the imagination as he sucked and lathed. Penny's fingers in his hair were pulling tighter and tighter the longer he took. He grinned against her and finally readied himself for what he wanted to do- something her previous actions had inspired. His mind had gone blank and this was the only thought that appeared, it made him oddly excited.

Sheldon brought two of his fingers from where they had been resting inside of the bowl and slowly slid them inside of her.

Penny's entire body jerked off of the bed into an arch that could have impressed a yoga instructor. Her eyes shot open and her mouth divided to produce a wide, soul-stealing, gasp. "Shit! Sheldon!" She shrieked, her nails clawing down onto the back of his neck. He was above her, his lips were pushing against hers, and his tongue was invading her mouth. Her eyes were still wide open as she felt his cold fingers moving inside of her. Her body was writhing and rocking underneath of his, and her mouth tried as best as it could to respond to the growing urgency in him. Sheldon drove his fingers in and out of her body while his frozen thumb teased and flicked at her clit. Sweat rolled off of her body as he felt the pressure becoming far too much for her to handle. Once upon a time, she had silently prayed that Sheldon would be a bit more sexual. Now, the gods had heard her and gave her something ten times more than she had ever asked for. Not that she was complaining- this was  _exactly_  what she wanted.

After a few more minutes of torture, Penny ripped her mouth away from Sheldon's and screamed as an orgasm blasted through her entire body. Sheldon lifted himself above her so he could watch as her entire form convulsed around his fingers. Her pink-tinted skin puckered under him, her blonde hair stuck to her forehead, and her eyes shut into tight, crinkling lines. He pulled his constricted fingers out of her and waited until her breathing came back to normal; her chest heaving up and down with the force of her orgasm. Sheldon watched in hungry fascination as her breasts moved along with the irregularity of her breathing and her beating heart.

His eyes finally roved back up to her face. She was staring at him through half-lidded, lust-filled, shining eyes. Her mouth was open and her swollen lips trembled as she attempted to breathe normally. Sheldon just grinned at her and held his chocolate and juice covered fingers over her, as if to display them like a trophy. Penny simply stared at him; taking a few more breaths before swallowing and saying hoarsely. "Oh my god, I've created a monster."

Sheldon didn't answer, ignoring her statement of admiration -slash- surprise. Instead, he simply smirked and brought his fingers to his mouth. He heard her breath catch as she watched him slowly lick off every bit of juice from his coated fingers. Sheldon's tongue swirled around the base, the shaft, and the tips of his fingers. He closed his eyes while enjoying the scintillating taste of Penny and chocolate. Normally, this would have repulsed him; but his animalistic side - the one he tried so hard to hide - found all of it as an exciting occurrence. When he was finished he looked back down at her and grinned at her disbelieving expression, " _fascinating_ ," he whispered.

That was the only thing he said before thrusting into her completely.

Penny didn't even have time to try and stop the scream that came from her mouth. Her arms immediately came around his shoulders and her legs hooked around his back. She cursed liberally as he withdrew and thrust back inside with the strength of a wild animal. Sweat beaded on Sheldon's forehead as he pushed himself further and further inside of her. He could feel the tip of his member hitting her cervix walls and inwardly wondered if he had reached this far before. Penny was alternately panting and screaming against him as he pummeled her tight center. Wildly, he brought his face down to hers and captured her lips in a kiss. Her body clenched around him as he pushed his mouth against hers. Her tight walls were gripping him, massaging him; her wetness was making it nearly impossible to keep going.

Penny shrieked into him and came again, this time around his cock. Sheldon, feeling her inner walls collapsing, was no longer able to contain the pressure that was building inside of him. With a roar of satisfaction, he emptied himself into her. He stayed above her for a few more minutes. Thrusting erratically until he was entirely positive that Penny had sucked all of the energy out of his body. With a groan, he pulled himself out of her, rolled over, and flopped to the side. Penny was lying on her back, completely focused on getting her lungs to work properly. With as much strength that she could muster, she crawled over to him and placed her face in the crook of his shoulder and neck. She pressed a delicate kiss onto his collarbone and tried not to pass out.

It took Sheldon nearly ten minutes to finally get his heart rate back under control. He blearily looked over at Penny and saw that she had turned her face towards him. He blinked and raised an eyebrow. "Is there a problem?" He breathlessly asked, ignoring the sticky sensation that the ice cream left on his body. "I think I just loved you even more," she whispered, furrowing her eyebrows before looking up at him again. "How do you feel about whip cream?"

* * *

"Hurry up, Penny! We'll be late, and you know how I feel about being late!" Sheldon called as he slammed the door of Penny's car.

Penny grimaced as she glanced back at her car, sprinting behind Sheldon. "Gee, you don't have to break my car. We're not gonna be late, okay? It's not like we have anything urgent to do, Sheldon." She stopped as they arrived inside the lobby, composing herself before walking beside her boyfriend. "We're not late, and could you please remember how battered I got during paintball?" Sheldon pressed the elevator button, giving her a knowing look. "Penny, that was two days ago and it wasn't  _that_  bad. You should have seen the pelting you gave Howard."

He frowned as she giggled, he was in a relationship with a merciless mercenary. The paintball game, which included; him, Penny, Howard, Leonard, Raj and Alex (much to Penny's chagrin) had ended in Penny getting deemed as a cold hearted killer. They had first decided to play teams of two, but with Gregg and Bailey out on a vacation, and Howard unwilling to team up with Penny - which was Raj's idea - they had divided themselves. Team A was composed of Howard, Leonard and Raj, while Team C was the three of them left- which Leonard deemed as team "misconception." Throughout the game, Sheldon had to prevent Penny from shooting  _Alex_  just because Alex asked about how they were doing.  _Women_ , he had thought to himself when the two had suddenly formed a bond from pulverizing Wolowitz. In the end, their team had won and resulted in Penny  _finally_  releasing her doubts about Alex and Howard forming a truce with Penny.

Howard had no choice- it was that, or get another beating at the next paintball game.

"Ah, Mr. Cooper, Miss Penny, how nice to see you here." They both turned to see Henry, her father's right hand man and the family butler, walking over to where they stood. Penny straightened her posture, smiling at the man. "Good morning to you too, Henry. What brings you here at the office at this horrible hour?" She felt Sheldon shift from beside her, adjusting the strap of his messenger bag. The old man had been in her life since she could remember, and was probably the one she trusted most in her family. Henry knew all about her activities, especially about her and Sheldon. He was even the one who had told her to not treat Sheldon like her other dogs, that he was different. Henry was  _always_  right, and so he enjoyed basking in the fact that he could nag her about his hunches.

"Your father called me to visit a client, and I'm currently on my way there." Henry answered as the elevator doors opened. "Oh alright, but you gotta visit more often. I don't think it's fair that Barbara is allowed to have you around just cause she's going through a divorce. I'll talk to my dad about that later," she stepped into the elevator, sending Sheldon a look. Sheldon was about to move when Henry stepped towards him, whispering, "which reminds me, the chief asked me to tell you to go to his office once you arrive. It's something urgent, he says." The old man stepped back, allowing Sheldon to enter the elevator before waving at the two.

The blonde pressed the button to her floor then turned to Sheldon. "Did Henry tell you something? I swore that I heard him whisper something." Sheldon nodded, pressing the button to the top floor where Wyatt's office was. "Oh yes, that. It was just about your father wanting to see me." She gave him a questioning look before sighing, "it must be about preparations for the Frampton account. I heard him talking about it during lunch the other day, something about getting you to supervise it." The elevator doors opened, and she stepped out, "I guess I'll see you later."

It took another minute before the elevator reached the twentieth floor, which was his stop. He stepped off of the elevator and made his way to the president's office, greeting the floor secretary and the various employees along the way. He stopped at Wyatt's personal secretary's desk who stood up, knocking before opening the door to the office. "Sir, Mr. Cooper is here for you."

"Let the boy in," he heard Penny's father say, which was his cue to go in. As he entered the office, he found himself unexpectedly getting nervous at the sight of Wyatt, Barbara and Mark watching his every move. "Good morning, Mr. Cooper, why don't you take a seat?" It was Barbara who spoke, gesturing to the empty chair that sat opposite them.  _I'm getting fired_ , was the first thought in his head as he sat in front of the incomplete family. He was probably getting fired because they had found out about his relationship with Penny- he should have stopped her from revealing it! "Am I being fired?" He anxiously blurted out, dread apparent in his voice.

Then the three laughed, causing him to wrinkle his eyebrows in confusion.

"What? Why would you even think that?" Mark said through his laughter, grinning at him. "I- I just thought that... with the tension and all," Sheldon Lee Cooper  _does not_  stutter; he must have looked like a complete idiot. "Well, you're wrong," Wyatt cleared up, scratching the back of his head. "No, I called you in to talk about something very different than that. It's a bit sudden, and an odd subject but we believe that we must personally ask you about the matter."

"And that is?"

Barbara placed a hand on her heart, sighing dramatically. "Why, we're here to talk to you about you and Penny!" She let out a small squeal, causing her brother to roll his eyes and Sheldon to flinch. "When I heard about it from my sister, I honestly  _did not_  believe her! Not because you aren't right for her - cause I think you're too good for her - but because I heard that you were dating your secretary! Then, I asked one of the employees to do some gossiping, and I heard that you two were a thing!" The blonde produced a fan - from nowhere - and quickly started to fan herself. He had met the woman at least three times, and together with what Penny told him, Barbara was an emotionless drama queen. He tried to remember the stories Penny had told him- the so called stoic perfectionist suddenly turned into an excitable, yet still overdramatic, animated person.

Mark suddenly grabbed the fan - forcing his sister to gasp - then tossed it to the side. "What my sister is trying to say is that, we wanted to ask about the status of you and Penny's relationship. And don't be afraid to be honest, whether or not your affiliated with our sister does not change the fact that you are Penbark's greatest asset." He saw Wyatt and Barbara nodding in agreement, "so, are you dating my sister?"

"Yes, she is - as you would call - my girlfriend." There was no point in lying.

There was a sudden commotion inside the office; an ear piercing squeal simultaneous with a loud cheer coming from one of the men. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it! I told you my plan would work- that those dates would drive Penny to become wayward and somehow make her way towards Mr. Cooper!" Barbara exclaimed, pointing at her brother who scoffed. "What are you talking about? You didn't say anything about that, all you said was that Penny needed to settle- that's it." So, Penny  _was_  telling the truth. He wasn't doubting her, he was just relieved to know that she wasn't lying. Fine, he had a tiny speck of doubt, but he forgave her either way. Amy had diagnosed his symptoms as jealousy; which was degrading, and he had no intention of ever becoming that again.

"Dad! Isn't this great? This may be Penny's only boyfriend that I already love!" The blonde turned to her brother then to her father. "Don't you just love it?" Mark glanced at Sheldon, noticing the confusion on his face. "Barbara, you're scaring him. Dad, get her to shut up." Wyatt gave his son a look of disapproval before clearing his throat and turning to his vice president. "Don't mind any of these two, they're just really happy about you and Penny. I must say that I was a bit shocked when I heard about it- but I'm glad it's you. There is no one finer to be her boyfriend than you, son." Sheldon raised an eyebrow - still taken aback from their reactions - and blinked. "You're fine with it?" He somehow seemed to be at a loss for words. His boss' face dropped, his pleased expression turning into a straight face. He suddenly found himself holding his breath as Wyatt spoke.

"I know that there's a nasty rumor around her about me hating any employee that even thinks twice about my daughter." He could feel himself slightly shaking while awaiting the continuation. "And I know that Penny has told you about what happened years ago- about her and one of the past presidents which is what probably started everything." Wyatt shook his head, evidently annoyed with the statement. " _And_ , I thought you should know- that I know about your little tryst with the Calder executive's wife." Sheldon blanched - how could he not when something that crucial was revealed - as his mouth unconsciously dropped. He wasn't sure if his heart stopped beating, but with the look Wyatt had on his face it might as well have. "H-how do you know about that?" Wyatt's eyebrows shot up and Sheldon blinked.  _He wasn't angry?_

"Well, it's actually funny how it happened," the old man said, slightly chuckling. "With what happened with  _every_  vice president we've had and that goddamned Chris not only assaulting my daughter but also stealing from the company." Chris was stealing from the company? Did Penny know about that? "Which is the real reason why I'm mad at him, and the fact that he was a spy from Calder. Oh, plus the fact that you were also from Calder, I got a spy to investigate you. The spy also got the chance to talk to that annoying Calder president, Mr. Harrison and he did nothing but spew flak about you. Then, I got the spy to talk to  _Mrs. Harrison_."

Mark frowned as he noticed how the vice president looked up at the mention of the name. They had always knew about that particular incident, which was what they normally talked about between the three of them- Penny, included. "The spy found out that Mrs. Harrison was not - at all - happy with her husband who was older than her own father. Which was the reason why she turned to you," Wyatt gestured to Sheldon, who held a torn look on his face. "But Mr. Harrison found out and gave you the boot, and now you're here. Spies are great, aren't they? They really don't miss a detail."

"You're not- mad?" Wyatt - and his two children - shook their head, and Sheldon felt himself breathe, again.

"Though I have mixed emotions about it, I am not mad- at all. If you think that this affects my idea of you, it does not." His boss gave him a smile of approval - and that was really when he felt himself relax. Not a minute ago, he had thought that he would be losing his job and would have to return to Texas. When he was fired from Calder, he had promised himself that if he failed in the business world again, he would return home. Maybe he could work as a teacher- he was a failure, anyway, might as well prevent other failures from happening. Had he return to Texas, he would surely miss California- but he  _wasn't_  and that was  _great_!

"As her father, I have something that I must ask you to promise me." Sheldon nodded, waiting for Wyatt to continue. "It's that you  _never_  hurt her. Though the chances of her hurting  _you_  is so much higher, please,  _please_ , don't give up on her. I know that Penny is a bit," the old man stopped, thinking of the right word to describe his daughter. "Tough to handle, she has a good heart that can't handle any more disappointments. A lot of men have stomped over her since I can remember, from me forcing her to do boyish things, to the men that only wanted to date her because she's pretty. I also know that Penny admires you very much, and that whether or not you end up together, you'll be the one who can change her. I'm tired of giving free dinners to guests at the hotel, and changing her elevator's keycard each time she dates someone else."

"The two of you don't know it," Mark started, a mischievous look appearing on his face as he spoke. "But we visited the place last Saturday while you were gone, it seems as if things are going well between the two of you." Sheldon felt horrified as Barbara brought out her phone, showing a picture of the three of them, standing beside a picture of him and Penny that was placed in the living room. "Look! We got so happy that we took a picture of us with the picture of the two of you! I even sent it to our mom and she says that she can't wait to see her grandchildren!" He had never recalled a time that he was  _this_  terrified. It might have been his karma for every bad thing he ever did (which were very few, in his opinion.)

"No!" Wyatt groaned desperately, grabbing their attention. "Please, no grandchildren yet- I already have two and another one on the way. Believe me, I want to have more grandchildren - but Penny is just turning twenty three, and sometimes I just feel so  _old_ when I remember that I already have grandchildren." He tapped his finger in deep thought while Barbara dramatically turned to her father then back to Sheldon. "Dad! I'd love some more nieces and nephews! My children are getting all lonely with them being your only grandchildren. Maybe, they can have children in a year or two, after the wedding!" Mark rolled his eyes at his sister (again) then snorting in disapproval. "I think they'll have kids when they want to, and since Penny is just so surprising- we'll hear about it sooner than you think." Sheldon watched in horror as the three argued about the idea of his and Penny's future progenies. Then, as if his mother's god had heard him, Wyatt's secretary knocked, abruptly ending the dreadful conversation.

"You can come in, now." He had a strong feeling that his mother's god was doing things to spite him;  _especially_  as how it was  _Penny_  who walked in.

"Dad, if you wanted to talk to m-" she stopped, noticing the people on the room then taking a seat beside Sheldon. "Why are you still here? And why are Mark and Barbara, here?" Her brother snickered, slapping his knee as he turned to his dad. "See? Told ya' we'd hear from her, soon." Penny scrunched her face, staring at Sheldon in confusion then at her family members. "What are you talking about?"

"We're talking about when you and Sheldon should have kids." Barbara carelessly answered resulting in Penny's eyes widening in surprise. "WHAT? You have got to be kidding me- this is exactly why I never tell you people anything! Sheldon, don't listen to them, they're crazy." Her boyfriend silently nodded, still uncomfortable in his spot. How he wished that the ceiling would fall on him and knock him unconscious. "Alright, that's enough of this discussion," Wyatt said, waving his hands in front of him. "But if you must know, I expect the two of you to give me grandkids before I die. Moving on, Penny, Sheldon, there's another reason why I called you in here, other than to talk about your relationship, of course."

"I believe we've done enough of that in one lifetime," Sheldon exhaustedly added as Penny patted his shoulder in sympathy. There was nothing more awkward then discussing your relationship with your parents- other than your parents talking about your sex life. Penny wanted to erase both events from her mind, permanently. "As you know, each year, there is a soirée held for the major companies in the business world. And since your team has done a fantastic job with the Picobus, I want you and your team to attend for Penbark. I would also like for your team to use the event for the unveiling of the new, Picobus- it will be perfect publicity." Sheldon nodded- this was perfect! With the number of elite business people attending, it would be a great way to gather more investors, and spread word about the tremendous innovativeness of Penbark!  _Plus_ , the event was always held in New York, and he had never been to New York.

"Wait, where do I fit in to the picture?" Penny asked, wondering why the rest of her family wasn't attending. Her father and siblings were the ones who usually attended the event. She only tagged along when she felt like shopping in New York, or whenever she felt like collaborating with her designer friends who lived there. The soirée simply bored her; there was nothing exciting about mingling with other famous business people- and their annoying sons who thought that she'd go out with them just because they were "successful." She really didn't care if they were gonna inherit fifty or a hundred companies, arrogance didn't get her attention. Surprisingly, the combination of intelligent, arrogant, condescending, childish and just a dash of whackadoodle made her swoon. Maybe, arrogance did get her attention, just not all of it.

"Dad, Barbara and I are going to be visiting all of Penbark's branches around the date of the soirée and we doubt that you'd have much fun going with us. Hmm, not that you'd have fun avoiding various businessmen- but Sheldon will be there, so that must be comforting." Mark grinned at her, and Penny immediately knew that telling them this soon was a mistake. She should have just told them when she and Sheldon were about to get married or something; she just really hates that stupid party. Barbara grabbed her purse, pulling out a handful of cards and handing them to Penny. "Here are the invitations which count as the IDs, you'll need just one but it wouldn't hurt to bring all of them. You'll be staying at the Manor over there, and don't worry," Barbara gestured to the two on the couch, "I got the penthouse ready, so don't be scared to get pregnant!"

"Barbara!" Penny fumed, throwing one of the cards at her sister. "I'm going back to my office," she sneered as she stood, glaring down at Sheldon who quickly stood up. "Yes, I must return as well. I shall inform my colleagues of this- may you send our tickets to my secretary?" Sheldon felt Penny tug the edge of his sleeve, dragging him across the room. Wyatt nodded, waving at them, "you'll receive them later this afternoon. Goodbye, you two."

"Uh, yes, farewell," Sheldon muttered as Penny pulled him out of the room.

Barbara sighed, pulling a tissue out of her purse and dabbing the corner of her eyes. "They're so beautiful together, aren't they?" Mark simply harrumphed while their father smiled, "I think, he's exactly what she's been waiting for."

* * *

"Start spreading the news, cause we're finally here in New York, baby!"

Howard gave his best friend a look of disgust before moving to the chair beside Leonard. "Is there a way to get him to shut up? He's been saying that since we got here! Every time we go inside a building, whenever we go out- the news has been spread, okay!"

Leonard chuckled, handing Raj and Howard menus. "It's just the feeling of being in New York. Remember when we went up the Empire State and then he started singing while everyone stared? That was pretty much the best thing that happened so far!" Raj frowned at Leonard while Howard added on, "no, no, I think the best thing was when we were at the Smithsonian and he started crying because," Howard lifted his fingers, imitating Raj's Indian accent. "It was so sad in Night in the Museum 2 cause Amelia Earhart died, but you just didn't know it!"

Raj sneered as his friends laughed, frantically waving his hand and calling a waiter. "You are just  _heartless_! Sometimes, I wonder if your hearts are made of stone cause you don't know how to feel." Yes, he got a bit emotional at the museum, and yes, he got a bit over the top with the singing- he was just having fun! Unlike his two friends, he had been savoring every moment in New York. There was just something about the city that made him so, happy. He was sure that Sheldon and Penny - who didn't even join in on his itinerary - were feeling the magic that the city had. New York was perfect for romance, dreams, and tourists who have never been to the city. With a huff, they told the waiter their orders before Raj continued his rant. "There is nothing wrong in showing some love for the city that never sleeps! Can't you feel the magic of New York?"

Howard leaned over the table, smirking. "No, but I bet Sheldon  _is_  feeling the magic! We texted them half an hour ago, and they're still not here. My mind is wondering what  _exactly_  they're doing." Leonard scowled, shaking away the thought that Howard gave them. "Eww, why do you have to be so disgusting this early in the morning? You're lucky Alex isn't here or else she would have hit you." The engineer shrugged, "and that's why I'm thanking everyone that can be thanked that Alex had to do something more important. Now, I can tease Sheldon all I want without repercussions! Come on, doesn't it make you think how the chances of us having hot girlfriends are much more possible- if Sheldon can get one, why can't we- ow!"

Penny narrowed her eyes at the tiny engineer, hoping that her punch was enough to leave a mark. "You really are disgusting." Sheldon simply shook his head before taking a seat in front of Leonard, "good morning, gentlemen. I presume that you've all ordered?" The three nodded and called on a waiter, as Penny sat beside her boyfriend, pointing at a section of the menu. "They make great french toast, Sheldon, I think you'll like it." Sheldon flipped the menu over, glancing at the selections before handing it to the waiter. "I'll have the french toast and a glass of orange juice," he turned to Penny, "will you be having your usual breakfast?"

The three stared on as the two discussed on what Penny would get. Raj leaned over to Leonard, whispering, "is it just me or do they look like an actual couple?" Leonard pulled away, shaking his head at his friend. "Gee, I can't believe you only noticed that now." What Raj was going on about, he didn't know. Especially, how the couple had been hanging out with since they had made up. They were all happy for Sheldon - even Howard, though he had an odd way of showing it. Sheldon just seemed so alive, and happy nowadays. When Leonard had asked about how he was doing, Sheldon replied with; "everything is wonderful! The Picobus is doing great, I finally got a signed comic book and I surprisingly feel happy." Compared to his answer a year back which was, "cut the banal chit chat and get back to work," - he must have been really happy. The difference?  _Penny_ , and he knew that she felt the same way, as well.

"So Raj, how was your sightseeing itinerary yesterday? I would have loved to go but there was a sale at Barney's and that was just something I cannot ignore." The blonde curiously asked, glancing at the foreign one who looked like he was dying to speak, but couldn't. "Uh, Raj, I know you can only talk to me when you've had something to drink but please think of me as your friend. Don't think of me as a girl- think of me as just an average looking, girl that isn't attractive- at all." Raj furrowed his eyebrows, slowly changing how Penny looks like in his mind. But Penny  _was_  a girl- and a really pretty one! However... she was  _Sheldon's_  girl and that automatically ruled her out. Plus, she was nice and though she didn't care about their love for comics and what most classify as nerdy- she never judged them on it. She even kicked ass at paintball- Howard's ass, and at HALO, too.

"Well, it was great but when you go out with people who just can't feel the magic of New York, it just loses something." Raj sighed, staring down at the table before realizing what had just happened. He clapped a hand over his mouth as he looked up to meet the surprised expressions on everyone's face. "Holy crap on a cracker," Howard gaped, still unable to process what had just happened. "She got Raj to talk!" Penny grinned at the engineer, smugly shrugging, "it wasn't much but I'm glad to be of help." Leonard frantically shook his head at the blonde, gesturing to Raj then back at her, "you don't understand, we've spent nearly two years trying to find ways to get him to get rid of his selective mutism! Raj had gone to countless numbers of psychologists and psychiatrists that he's pretty well known in the field, and none of them had a clue! How did you get him to talk?"

"Yeah, how did you get me to talk?" Raj curiously repeated, inwardly ecstatic at the fact that he could  _finally_  talk to women. Albeit it be only Penny, it was a start and a long step from only being able to talk to his relatives. "Are you some kind of goddess that helps people with problems? Cause you're on a roll, Penny! First you fixed Sheldon's problem with women and humanity in general! The first time I met him he wouldn't even sit beside me in the lunchroom, now he's probably done so many unspeakable things with you that he might just hug you in public! Now, here you are, motivating me to finally be able to talk to women! I swear, Penny, you are a gift- and to repay you with my thanks why don't I take you shopping or shopping? I saw this ad for this absolutely tempting sale and I'm sure you'll love it! What do you say?"

Penny blinked in her spot, baffled at how talkative the Indian was. "Uh, no need for that, I can go shopping on my own."

"I bet she's already regretting it," Howard snickered towards Leonard.

Sheldon frowned as their food arrived, glaring at the pieces of toast in front of him before gazing back at his friends. "I'm afraid I can't allow any of you to proceed with those unnecessary shopping sprees of yours. The soirée is tonight, and we must prepare a strategy on how to get investors and revise the presentation. Shall we fail, we'll be the laughing stock of the business world." Penny gently jabbed her thumb on the side of his arm, "you're such a party pooper, Sheldon! All you gotta do is worry about the presentation thing, cause I've got the investors thing all handled." Sheldon watched as she happily took a bite of bacon, "and how exactly have you 'handled' the investor situation?"

Penny grinned up at him, "easy! I'll just talk to a couple of businessmen and talk to them about how great Penbark is! No one can resist my undeniable charm!"

 _Wrong move_ , Raj said to himself as he saw how Sheldon's knuckles were turning white from gripping his fork. To anyone, it would sound funny and everyone would laugh, to  _Sheldon_  it sounded like his girlfriend would be planning on flirting with various men. Which seemed to be true, with the sour look that Sheldon was currently giving Penny who had  _finally_  realized what she had just said. "No, honey, I didn't mean it like that! You know that I'm very convincing, and I could make them invest!" Sheldon scoffed, taking a bite of his toast. "I hardly think that that's what you meant, Penny. If you think that is an effective way to do it, then I won't stop you."

The blonde placed a hand on his arm, tugging it towards her. "Aww, come on, Sheldon! Don't act that way, you know that that's not what I mean. I'm sorry, I promise I won't even talk to any guy other than you."

Leonard couldn't resist grinning as he watched the pair in front of him. He didn't know that Sheldon was the jealous type- although, it wasn't too surprising. The other day, Howard found a rare comic book in his closet and Sheldon acted like he didn't care. Then he quickly searched the internet for the same comic book. Over the past few weeks, they had grown accustomed to Penny tagging along with them. They even played HALO and vintage game night at her place; though that was mostly because Sheldon had supposedly moved his consoles there. He could now confidently say that Penny was now a part of their group of friends. Even Howard thought of her as one of them, except, less caring about their habits. She was also a great addition to their costume team since Alex straight out told them that she would never wear a costume. Like Raj, he too, wished that the two, as Raj says, stays together forever.

"I am not jealous," Sheldon seethed, gazing down at the blonde beside him. "I am just doubting the success rate of your so called plan." Penny smiled warmly, placing a hand on his cheek and patting it, causing her boyfriend to scowl. "Aww, honey, you're so cute when you're jealous. I promise I won't do it, okay? We're just gonna dance the night away." Her boyfriend huffed, tearing her hand away before saying, "you know that I don't dance, Penny. Must I always remind you that?" She inched closer to him, bumping her shoulder to his, "then I just have to do something about that."

"If you're gonna make out here, at least allow us to finish our breakfast." Howard teased, quickly dodging the crumpled tissue that Penny threw at him.

"Very funny, Wolowitz," Sheldon said mockingly, finishing the last of his toast. "Penny and I have agreed that the only public displays of affection that are allowed are; hand holding, the occasional hug, and a counted number of kisses on the cheek." Penny shook her head, turning away from her embarrassing boyfriend. "Gee, honey, that's not really something you say in public." Sheldon paused, stared at her, then nodded. "Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot that you changed the agreement to add that you can change the agreement anytime you want." He turned to his friends, shrugging, "I guess Wolowitz may be right, shall you finish your breakfasts?"

"Hey, hey, no need to fuss," Leonard told them, trying to end the discussion as he noticed the irritation on the blonde's face. "Sheldon, we don't need to revise the presentation. We've proof read about a hundred times now and if you're worried about being in front of a lot of people, we've already got you covered." Sheldon's eyes widened; suddenly realizing that he would have to speak in front of a crowd big enough to trample him, his friends, and all of his family. Then, the image of him at his graduation in front of thousands of people flashed in his mind. He could already feel his palms getting sweaty, his eyes getting blurry and being on the edge of fainting "I know you finally remembered that,  _but_ , like I said, we got you covered." The bespectacled man continued, "all you gotta do is nod and smile, and we'll do the talking. Then mingle with the other rich and powerful people, dance with your girlfriend and then we can go home. Doesn't that make you less nauseous?"

Penny watched as her boyfriend slowly tilted his head to the side, a hand shooting up to his mouth. "Oh my god, what have you done to him?" She placed a hand on his shoulder; gently shaking him and causing him to snap out of whatever he was doing. "I think I might faint," Sheldon wistfully mumbled to himself.

Leonard waved his hands in front of Sheldon's face, catching his attention. "Hey, buddy, like I said, you don't have a reason to get nervous cause we'll do the talking. Just stand there beside Penny and pretend like you care." He waited for an answer from the man opposite him who was staring into space. "Uh, Penny, I think you should do something to break his trance. This is gonna affect the presentation- big time." The blonde nodded, worried on the current state her boyfriend was in. She could tell that he was really nervous; the slightly twitching eye, the dazed expression- that was what he looked like when he was remembering something unpleasant. He had once told her about his traumatic experience with his graduation speech, then he fainted. He probably wasn't as worried since he still hadn't fainted- but, he looked as if he was close to vomiting.

"What am I supposed to do?" She asked the three men who thought for a moment.

"Take him out to the train station, he loves trains."

"Screw his brains out, you've got a lot of time."

"Maybe you could give him some tea, and maybe take him to the zoo- or buy him a toy. Or do all of them."

She didn't need to see who said which; based on what was said, she already knew who said what. She could do all of them, but there wasn't enough time to go to a train station, since he tends to argue with the people there. The zoo would take too much time- he prefers to stay at the zoo all the way until closing time. The tea and the toy - like Leonard suggested - could be squeezed in as they went out to buy him something to wear. He had originally intended to wear his office clothes (the dress shirt and tie) but it was a black tie event, and even his clothing wasn't formal enough. Then he opted for his  _hideous_ plaid suit that she just wanted to throw up on. So, as the ever loving girlfriend (and fashionista) that she was, she decided to just get him something nice before the event. They did go out to find a suit on their first day in New York, but he hated all of them. They - in his opinion - either made him look like a clown, or was too pricey for something that was just one color. Now that he was in a daze, she could easily get him to wear something of her choice without him whining about it.

Howard's suggestion - no matter how revolting it sounded when it came from him - would work, too-  _after_  she buys a nice tuxedo for him.

"Yeah, I think I'll go with your suggestion, Leonard." She saw the foreign one frown while the engineer gave her a knowing look that could have given every horror movie she watched a run for their money. "We'll meet up at the outside the venue a little before eight," Penny told them as she pulled the lanky man from his chair. "Make sure you're presentable and all ready for the party. There's gonna be a lot of important people there, and I can't do all of the hard stuff." The three men nodded, with Leonard the one choosing to speak. "Sure, we'll text you guys. Just get him back to his normal self, the Picobus needs him." The blonde gave him a tight grin before guiding Sheldon out of the restaurant.

"I can't believe she went with your suggestion, " Raj whimpered, placing a piece of celery in his mouth. "Mine was obviously better."

Howard shrugged, staring at the empty seats in front of them. "I can't believe he's getting laid."

* * *

Penny grinned as she looped her arm with Sheldon's, walking beside him as they stepped out of the elevator. "You should stop frowning, honey. You look so handsome!"

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows at her as they crossed the lobby towards the venue for the party. "I still can't believe you made me wear this. Not only is this too expensive for one color, but I look like a clown." He glanced down at his black suit and tie combination then at Penny's revealing dark dress. He had to admit, she looked extremely mesmerizing, and he felt oddly proud to be his boyfriend. He was sure that many feebleminded and vexatious men would salivate and attempt to woo her during the evening - and though it made him want to shoot someone, he knew that Penny would not entertain  _any_  of them. Surely, she wouldn't go against her word when she said that she wouldn't cheat on him. He would never look at another girl while he was with her - not that he would when she wasn't - but he wasn't like that. He felt strongly for her, though what exactly was still a mystery, and she respected him, and loved him. The thought of her proving otherwise made him surprisingly upset and he quickly shook away the thought.

His mission tonight was; to survive the banal chit chat, ignore Penny who would be repeatedly forcing him to dance, show everyone how great the Picobus was and further dignify Penbark. It was relatively easy- Penbark and the Picobus were already great on their own and he would only be justifying it. What really did worry him, was Penny. She was his date, and he was hers. It was a  _date_. Dates (according to google) meant entertaining each other, having a good time and - depending on the number of dates - end in satisfying coitus. Penny had already announced that she expected him to dance with her - and he absolutely didn't dance. He could be a clown made of cotton candy, and a successful physicist in another universe, but not in any of them did he dance. Although, he had a few dancing lessons when he was a kid - mainly because of his mother enrolling him in her religious dance classes, he never found the act enjoyable. Based on his calculations; if he did not meet her expectations of dancing, she would find someone else to dance with. And so, he  _must_.

His final problem, was that Penny wouldn't keep her hands off of him.

Yes, he appreciated the fact that she adored him but a step apart would be nice. It started when he came out of the dressing room wearing the suit; she gaped, walked up to him, then told him that she wanted to do naughty things to him in the dressing room. He had, and will never have any intention of having coitus in a seemingly clean yet germ infested store. Once they had returned to their room, he showered, dressed up, then was attacked by Penny while he was fixing his bow tie. It took all his strength for him to convince her that they had to leave, which brought him to where they were. She chose the tantalizing dress she was currently wearing to match his, or so she said. Her dress was black and shimmering ending right above her ankles, and her blonde her was tightly pulled up, revealing that her dress had... no back. The back of her dress was nearly non existent, the straps were placed precariously on the shoulders and then the rest of it plunged downward until the curve of her spine. Not to mention how deep the  _front_  of the dress was. Which brought him back to his previous line of thought- it wasn't going to be just the male guests who would be drawn to her, he, himself was feeling particularly  _needy_.

But that wasn't what he was supposed to think about, was it?

"You don't look like a clown, okay?" Her hand gently patting his chest broke his trance, causing him to meet her gaze. He liked it when she wore heels, he didn't have to crane his neck just to see her eyes. "I think you look fantastic, and I can't wait to get back to our room and tear it off of you." He wasn't even paying attention to what she was saying- he was stuck staring at her light green eyes. Had he ever been  _this_  attracted to her? He wasn't sure; he always knew that she was beyond attractive with or without makeup. When he had first met her, he found her annoying and simply wanted to kick her out of his office. The next time they met, he wanted to invent a time machine, go back in time and prevent himself from meeting her. Though, gradually- as they spent time together -his annoyance with her dissipated and was replaced by him growing overtly fond of her. Now, he felt something akin to what Raj deems as, "romantic affection," or something like that. It was shocking how much the striking blonde had changed him in a little over a year.

"Penny?" Sheldon softly called to her as they walked side by side towards the event hall. "What is it, honey?" He stopped, gently pulled his arm from hers - confusing her - before facing her. "You look beautiful tonight, Penny."

The blonde smiled affectionately at him, reaching up to kiss him softly on the lips. "Thank you, Sheldon," she clutched the sides of his arms, unsure of what to say. This had actually had been the first time he had ever complimented her, and it both stunned them. Suddenly, he felt something- that was very unfamiliar to him. It was an emotion of some sort, that was building up inside him as he stared at the breathtaking woman in front of him. Could it be...? Maybe, it was, he had never felt it before, but there was a chance that-

"Bestie! Sheldon!" They both turned their heads towards the interruption that was Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler.

Penny pulled away from Sheldon, heading towards her best friend and hugging her. "Amy! What are you doing here?" The brunette grinned, stepping back and nodding towards the tall man opposite her. "I know I said that I couldn't come because I had a symposium to go to, but it was moved due to a colleague getting sick! So, I flew out here to spend some time with you and the apple of your eye!" She gestured to her pastel pink, knee length dress that was covered by a light blue cardigan. "I even dressed up for the occasion! I must say, I'm pretty excited to see the new Picobus device!" The neuroscientist giddily clapped her hand, then waved to someone behind the pair. "Look, it's those friends of yours from the resort! Hello, boys!"

Leonard was the first to greet them, followed by Raj and Howard. "Hey guys, you look great!" Raj nodded in agreement, adjusting his sleeves. "Yes, don't we all look like the dashing adults that we are?" He moved towards Penny, lifting her hand and kissing it. "I must say, Penny, you are even more gorgeous than that blinding diamond necklace you are wearing. Sheldon, treat the fine lady to a splendid night, okay?" Sheldon frowned as Howard pushed past Raj, giving his best friend a look of disapproval. "Don't mind him, he just discovered that he can now talk to women and feels like such a smooth talker."

Amy gasped, turning towards Raj with admiration. "You've cured your so called selective mutism? How?"

Raj proudly shook his head, placing a hand inside his pocket and the other gesturing to Penny. "It was not me, but it was Penny's brilliance that has cured me from the curse that was befallen on me. She is the goddess that only comes once in a while to bless the godforsaken children, right?" The brunette walked over to her best friend, roughly patting her arm in glee. "That's my bestie! Not only is she the car stopping blonde, sun kissed perfection that she is, she's also the answer that everyone is looking for! Bestie, you are one of a kind!" Penny awkwardly chuckled, linking her arm with Sheldon's and pulling him close to her. "Yes... Hey, look, I think the soirée is about to start! Why don't we all get to our seats? We're seated at table number three." She tugged her boyfriend towards the door, entering the ballroom proudly and gracefully beside her date.

Sheldon's eyes widened as he noticed how many heads turned and stared at the woman beside him. He could see their expressions as they walked past them, making their way to their table. Their eyes were filled with admiration, appreciation and desire. All of the men, young and old, had their eyes glued at his girlfriend and he found himself in a mix of pride and annoyance. He was proud that he was currently what they wanted to be, and he was annoyed that they even so tried as linger their dirty gazes at his girlfriend. There was also a hint of confusion as he still didn't know what was the emotion that was filling up inside him. It was warm, and each time he looked at the blonde, he found himself in a sudden state of happiness.

"Here's our table," Amy said, taking a seat beside Penny who patted the empty seat next to her. He silently sat down, staring at the table napkin that was placed in front of each chair. Solemnly pondering what was troubling him.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the seventy eight annual business soirée!" The room filled with applause, and all Sheldon cared about was if what he was feeling was an indication of a deadly sickness. He was quiet throughout the first hour of the program, Penny occasionally clutching his hand and asking if he was alright. The start of the program wasn't too interesting, it was just a few business people making opening remarks and making light of the business world. Their presentation was on the final half of the program, right after the tiny performance by one of the companies that gave out art scholarships. He wasn't troubled about the speech, he was troubled by the blonde beside him who was conversing with the others about who to talk to.

"Guys, I just got a text from my dad saying that you're going to announce the expansion of Penbark  _instead_  of the Picobus."

"Wait, then that means we're going to scrap the presentation and just, wing it?" Howard inquired, watching Raj shove a handful of peanuts in his mouth. "Dude, I think we can do it. What are we supposed to talk about, Penny?" Raj said after swallowing.

Penny narrowed her eyes at the text from her father, "hmm, he says that we're supposed to talk about how Penbark is planning on expanding to Europe and Asia, and to announce our acquisition of the Frampton Enterprises ." Leonard nodded, turning to Sheldon and slightly shaking him. "Sheldon, what do you think we should say?" Sheldon snapped out form his trance, digesting what Penny had said before turning to the bespectacled man on his left. "Talk about how Penbark is expanding exponentially, and how we plan on spreading the Penbark touch around the world. Then explain how great it is to acquire Frampton, though say that it is a merger. Those Frampton people won't mind, we're saving their sweet patooties for all they know. Then close it with how Penbark wishes to reach every single person in the world, no matter how far and that we look forward to working with most of them."

"Why would we look forward to working with them? Half of these companies are our rivals." Howard pointed out, searching the room for some of the familiar corporate people.

"Frampton has ties with most of these companies," Sheldon started, earning the attention of his team. "And since we have acquired Frampton, it is now  _we_  who are tied up with them. As they are our rivals, they will most likely be startled by this sudden announcement. Pretty soon they'll pull out of Penbark, and then we can dominate them. With them even remotely attached to our company gives us a disadvantage as instead of competitors we will have to include them in our products, but once they're gone, a little friendly fire won't hurt." The three men nodded in understanding, quickly turning to each other to discuss the speech hey would be delivering. Short and sweet - as Howard says, was their goal.

"I got a great idea!" Penny announced as she gently smacked Sheldon's arm. "Why don't I do some of the talking? As my family's representative, I think they'd like to hear from me. What do you think?" Sheldon nodded at her, taking a sip of water. "Yes, I think that would be excellent. Most of these people would start wondering why your family sent you, and this would be a great platform to establish the dawn of your reign." He leaned back against his seat, calming his nerves as he scanned the room. There would be enough people to trample him, great.

"Wasn't that a wonderful performance from the Brasler Incorporated art scholars! Let's give em a round of applause! Now, to start the night of mingling and to end this program are the representatives of Penbark World Group! May we call on Penbark's representatives to the stage?"

Sheldon nearly blanched but was stopped by a warm hand on his. "Honey, you don't have to be afraid, okay? We'll be right there next to you, and I promise that I won't let any of them trample you." He found himself somewhat in ease at Penny's words and proceeded to stand up, extending his arm towards Penny. "I believe, it would be better if Penny and I were the ones to announce the expansion." Raj and Howard's jaw dropped, and he resisted the urge to take back what he said. But he couldn't, because it was his job as vice president to represent the company. The three men nodded, a loss for words and still shocked at his announcement as Sheldon led Penny to the stage.  _Deep breath, and you will be fine, Sheldon. You are better than all of these people, and you will amaze them with your undeniable excellence. Do not allow yourself to be belittled by such a childish and irrelevant occurrence. You are better than you were before, and this is your time to prove it._  He stopped in front of the microphone stand and took a deep breath.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, I am Sheldon Cooper, vice president of Penbark WG. And you all know Penny, the stunning lady beside me, and we are here to represent Penbark WG." It had surprised him at how confident he sounded, and that words actually came out of his mouth. He could see Penny grinning proudly at him from his side, and his friends all giving him a thumbs up. He remembered the introductory line that Leonard was practicing earlier, and he hoped that he wouldn't mind him using the rest of their speech. "I'm sure you're all quite happy to be here, we have a fantastic host, wonderful music, excellent performers, more champagne than you could ever wish for-" he paused as light chuckling emerged from he crowd, and a slight raising of the glasses. "However, I'm sure that not very many of you know exactly why we are here standing in front of you, as we anticipate the start of the actual  _fun_." He stood proudly beside Penny as the press took pictures and headlined them, while laughter rang out from the room. His mother would be proud of him once she sees him on national television, not even dizzy at the sight of the crowd.

He felt Penny straighten her posture, moving towards the microphone. "Tonight, Mr. Cooper and I are here to announce a significant event." She stopped as the press readied their paraphernalia, Frampton's representatives directing their attention towards them, and the various business people who had been tipped off about the announcement taking out their cell phones to call their stock brokers. It also amused both of them how several young women turned to their  _chaperones_  in complete confusion. "We are here to announce the merging of two, equally amazing companies- Penbark WG Corporation and Frampton Enterprises." There was a series of gasps from various tables - probably their rival companies that invested in Frampton - and the press scrambled out in front of the stage; jotting down notes and holding their respective objects towards them. Sheldon glanced at the table where Frampton's representatives sat, an unanimous look of approval setting on their faces. It would be terrible if they announced that they had bought majority of the company; that would further fuel the rumors of the company's near bankruptcy.

"I know that this is very surprising to some, but from what I can see we have no where to go but up. Penbark shall use this benevolent expansion to further extend and reach everyone around the world. May it be from the regular household items, or to the means of transportation- or from the world class to the  _ever expanding_  electronics industry, Penbark will let them feel that we are all connected." She continued, looking down at those in front of her. They could hear various murmurs about how there would be a new Picobus unit, and how Penbark would be larger than it had ever been. She gave Sheldon a small smile before ending the short announcement. "Thank you for allowing us some of your time, we at Penbark look forward to working with all of you. Enjoy the party, and have a wonderful evening." The press, discontent with information, started to bombard them with questions, but were cut off by the host. Sheldon guided them back to their table where his friends all gave him impressed smiles, Leonard even roughly patting him on the shoulder as he sat down.

"Sheldon, that was amazing! When we tried that before we left California, it didn't even take a minute before you fainted!" Raj gushed, the table stopping him from leaping across the table and hugging his friend. The engineer nodded in agreement, a grin still plastered on his face. "I must say, I'm very impressed! I had thought that the two of you would crash and burn," he shrugged as Sheldon and Penny both frowned at his comment. "Hey, don't get me wrong, we anticipated the worst. Sheldon fainting or vomiting in front of everyone and news reporters, and Penny possibly saying something inappropriate that could ruin Penbark's reputation forever. But you totally did the opposite of that, and I got it all on camera!"

"Gee, thanks, Howard," Penny replied, unsure on whether or not the comment was flattering. "Oh bestie, I thought you sparkled and shined like a diamond up on stage! You and Sheldon looked like the trophy couple of the business world, looking all majestic and sophisticated as you delivered what could be the most sumptuous speech of the century! Your father would be so proud once he opens his email and sees the video I sent him!" The blonde thanked her best friend then turned to her boyfriend who was deeply breathing in and out. "Hey, are you okay? I think you did great up there! You didn't even break a sweat, and I'm so proud of you, honey. I'm glad that you finally manage to defeat that trauma of yours." She leaned up to him, pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek- and he understood.

He finally understood what the mysterious anomaly that troubled him was.

... But he wasn't going to tell her, not yet.

* * *

"Let's dance!" Penny commanded, tugging at his hand.

Sheldon scowled at her, swallowing the shrimp that he had been munching on. It had been about an hour since the actual "party" started, and he had done nothing but talk to various businesspeople, and Frampton's representatives while Penny went to the dance floor with everyone else. They had invited him to join, but asking him to dance was a rhetorical question, and he returned to his conversation with an executive from a company he disliked. Though he was busy conversing with several people, he still managed to watch Penny from his peripheral vision. She looked absolutely stunning in her dress as she happily danced with Amy and a few of her corporate friends. He  _also_  made sure that no man even tried to dance with her that wasn't happily married or one of his friends. He knew the looks many of the men gave his girlfriend, and he wouldn't be afraid to drag Penny away from them if they even attempted anything.

"Penny, how many times must I tell you-"

"I don't dance, yeah, I know," she murmured as she pulled him up. "But please, just this once, could you do it for me? I'm getting tired of dancing with our friends, and if you don't, I'm gonna get the first guy I see to dance with me. What do you say?" The blonde shimmied towards him, a playful grin matching his uninterested look. "Plus, it would be really nice to have a dance with the man I love, instead of men I don't care about."

With a small sigh, he grasped her hand and brought her to the dance floor. "Fine, but just for tonight. Don't think that just because I'm agreeing now, I'll dance with you every time you demand me to." He lifted her hand then placed his other on her back, slowly easing into the dance. "Then I'll just have to convince you again, next time," Penny remarked as he gracefully spun her around. "For someone who hates dancing, you can really dance! Where did you even learn to dance?" Sheldon shrugged, moving them to where Leonard and Amy danced. He searched for his two other friends and found them both at the buffet table. "My mother had forced me and my twin sister into joining her church youth activities which included various types of dancing. And my grandmother would sometimes play some classical music and ask me to dance-" he noticed how Penny gazed at him; if he matched it with a line she'd say it would most definitely be, aww. "I cannot refuse to dance with my grandmother."

"That's really sweet of you, honey." The blonde cooed, leaning up to give him another kiss. There goes the sub-section about public displays of affection. "I hope I'll meet your grandmother, soon. She sounds so nice and sweet."

"Hmm, given that our announcement will reach newspapers and televisions tomorrow morning, my mother will soon badger me about your current status in my life. She had earlier doubt that you were just my colleague, something about Jesus." Penny nodded, paying close attention to him. "If I am correct, our entire week is free before we start working on the Frampton account. Would it be acceptable if we fly to Texas on Friday? Assuming that you will agree, of course." His girlfriend's grin widened, excitedly nodding up and down. "Yes, of course! I would love to meet your family! I've been dying to meet your sister, and your mom and grandma! I'm fine with Friday, heck, I'm fine if we fly out tomorrow!" He pursed his lips at her, amused at how excited she got at the mere thought of meeting his family. As long as she didn't give  _any_  hints to his mother that they had enough coitus so many times that Jesus would punish him for eternally sinning - as his mother so dramatically said - they would be fine. "Hold your horses, Penny, we still have to report to your father to discuss tonight. Only then can we fly out to Texas."

"Alright, but we better be taking a plane!" His expression dropped, and Penny simply giggled. "We'll talk about it, later. For now, let's just dance!"

They danced, for another ten minutes before Penny was dragged out by Amy. A so called "crisis" concerning her and Leonard, and the absent Zack. What exactly was problematic, he didn't know- it wasn't like she was choosing between the Flash and Professor X. Free from his obligation of dancing, he returned to their table, where a new batch of shrimp waited for him. He had to admit that the hotel served great food - as to be expected from a Penbark hotel - and absolutely loved everything that he ate. The only thing he hated was the champagne, and Penny forcing him to sip some. He did. Then he spit it back into one of the empty glasses - Howard cursing that he was disgusting and that there was nothing wrong with swallowing it. The conversations he had with the corporate people were satisfying; not only did he prove that Penbark was a company they shouldn't be reckoning with. Just an hour after their announcement, Penbark was deemed as the fastest growing company around. All in all, he had a fantastic time, and a fantastic date. Nothing could destroy the evening.

Or so he thought.

"Sheldon, is that you?" He nearly choked on the piece of shrimp in his mouth when he heard  _that_  voice. A thousand memories flooded his mind as he turned around, his eyes growing inconceivably wide at the person in front of him.  _It can't... It couldn't be!_  Was what he mumbled to himself as the familiar women rushed towards him, arms open wide and ready to embrace him. He couldn't understand why  _she_  was here- why it had to be now. For nearly a year and a half, he seldom thought of  _her_  and it relieved him to know that he had finally severed his attachment with  _her_. He had finally released the frustration and disappointment he had with himself when he was with  _her_ , and now here  _she_  was, reminding him of everything that he wanted to forget.

"I can't believe you're here!"  _She_  told him as she tightly wrapped her arms around him. "I didn't even think that you would be here! You don't know how much I missed you, Sheldon." He curtly pulled away still shocked at her sudden appearance. "Uh, yes, I also did not expect to meet you here. Why is it that you're here? I heard that Calder wouldn't be of any attendance this year." He stared at the woman he knew too well, struggling to find the right words to say.  _But what exactly were the right words?_

"Oh, well my friend invited me to come since her husband couldn't go and I said yes." They stood there in silence as the music continued on behind them- there really wasn't anything appropriate to converse about. What he could say was that - surprisingly - he still thought that she was beautiful, and that he felt upset at the observation. Her face was still the same as it had been when they were together, and absolutely nothing had changed. She was still lively and a bit too familiar with people, including him- which, if he would be honest, cost him his job. With that in mind; what was he suppose to say to the first person who he actually cared for? The one who showed him that he didn't have to be serious all the time, and that there was more to life than work and success? The one who had convinced him that his brain wasn't always right?

The one who had stomped all over his heart, crushing it into thousands of fragile pieces?

"I divorced my husband," was what she blurted out to break the silence. A soft hand of hers - one that he had held in secret various times before - reached out to touch his. "I spent the entire year finalizing it, finally ending it. I haven't seen nor spoke to you in a year, how have you been?" How was he supposed to react to what she said? Was he supposed to cheer and thank her? He might have, had it been in an entirely different time. Since she first approached him, he found himself at a loss of words, seemingly paralyzed at her presence. What was he supposed to tell someone who had once meant everything to him? To the someone that had forced him to carelessly drop everything on the line for? The truth, of course.

He retracted his hand from hers, immediately shoving into his pocket. "A few months after my departure from Calder, I was hired at Penbark. I'm currently the vice president there. I also manage the operations of all of the sub companies and am also the chief in charge of the Picobus units. It's immensely different from my work at Calder, but I find the job enjoyable."

"That's great! I always knew that you were destined for great things," she remarked, a light chuckle coming from the both of them. Who was he kidding, he really was destined for greatness. "The first time I saw you at the lobby, I thought you were a bit odd. Then when we actually interviewed you, I saw all of the potential you had. Everything you said about yourself was true, and you proved that to everyone in the company. I'm glad that you're finally doing what you're supposed to do." He thanked her, it was obviously a compliment that could not be denied. Then they fall into another beat of awkward silence. He should have just conversed with more people, or stayed at the buffet table with his friends. Going off with Penny and Amy to discuss women problems sounded much more appealing than what he was currently doing.

"Sometimes, when I'm by myself, I reminisce about the first time we actually spent time together." Her voice was soft and comforting, like it had always been when she supported him when he still worked for her. "I remember how you were so rude and condescending and how I swore that I'd stay away from you. Then to that office party where we both got drunk and had started our little trysts." There was another pause followed by a sigh, then her gazing into his eyes- as if she was trying to get him to remember as well. "I've always regretted letting you go and turning down your offer to leave. I regretted it the moment you walked out the door, and I still regret it. I've spent a year fixing my divorce so that I could finally reunite with you, but I was ashamed of what you went through. There would never be a way for me to make up for my ex-husband harassing you and me playing with your feelings. I was wrong, and I know that I still love you, Sheldon."

There it was, the words he had waited for her to tell him years back. The same words that had destroyed his respect for himself.

"If you would just give me another chance," he knew where this was going and he hated himself for allowing her to continue. It just didn't seem right for him to stop her, even if it was wrong. Did he still care for her? No. He was one hundred percent sure that he no longer felt the same way he did when he was still foolish. But something, something inside him was telling him to allow her to finish. To hear what she had to say, to give himself another chance to decide. "Just one more chance to prove to you that I did choose you, that I can finally stand by you. I'm free now, and we could be together! We can go through with our original plan to move to a different state and start fresh. We can do it, I know we can, Sheldon." Her hands reached out to pull his from his pocket, desperately clutching on to his hands. "Just please, give me a chance."

What was the right thing to do?

"I," Sheldon glanced down at his feet, tearing his hands from hers. "I'm afraid I have to refuse your offer. Had this been a year and half ago, had the circumstances been different, I would have said yes. Maybe, if I was still confused, I would have agreed and we would have left right now." He glanced back up at her look of disappointment, giving her a small apologetic smile. "But, I cannot, as I am happy with someone else. Someone, who makes me happier than I have ever been. I believe you deserve to know that I once did feel strongly about you, but it does not compare to how I feel with her, nor how I feel about her. It is a tempting offer, but I must decline."

The woman he had once adored smiled in understanding. "I understand, Sheldon. I guess I was just too late- I should've known that you wouldn't wait forever." She brought a hand up to her face, brushing away a tear that had formed in her eye. In all honesty, he felt some kind of sadness rushing through him. When she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close to her, he wondered if he was doing the right thing. A long time ago, he had wanted nothing but to run away with the very woman who offered it to him. But that was a long time ago, when he dreamed of science and awards and things he could not have. Now, he dreamed of making his department the best among it's competitors, along with the company, and force a certain blonde that wearing the wig  _does_  matter.

"I hope that she treats you better than I did, and that she loves you more than I will ever have, Sheldon. I'm glad that we saw each other again," a small defeated smile formed on her delicate face, making Sheldon question his decision. "I would rather have you reject me than wonder if there was ever a chance for us. Sadly, there wasn't, but I understand that now." She shrugged, releasing a soft chuckle while he simply stared at her. "I hope that I'll see you again- no, I  _will_  see you again. Maybe then you'll tell me more about her?" The tall man nodded, watching as his former lover stepped back. "This might be the first time you were at a loss for words, and I'll take that as my cue to leave. Goodbye, Sheldon."

"Goodbye," was all he could say before she left.

All of his memories with her danced inside his head as he watched her leave with her friend. He could still clearly remember how she lectured him on how "indifferent" he was with everyone in the office. That even with all of her convincing, he never even so as tried to make friends with anyone who wasn't her. She was his only friend back then, and was the only thing that made him forget about his dreams of being a scientist. Those memories were quickly replaced with a certain blonde frequently asking questions about his comic books, to him and his friends playing paintball the other day. He no longer had to worry about what would have been, and feel guilty of what he had done. No amount of his mother's praying and bible smacking would cure him of the disappointment that was him changing for the wrong. Back then, he would have never even thought of having friends and only surrounded himself around her. Back then, he didn't understand the pain he felt whenever she returned to her husband while he settled for second best. Back then, he would faint at the slightest sight of a crowd, which was why he never represented Calder. Back then, he thought that emotions were idiotic and only existed to get in the way.

Now, he knew that it was great to have friends around and that it was okay to be jealous. That he could stand up against thirty adults or seventy children, and speak as if they weren't even there. And that sometimes, emotions and the people attached to them were a good thing. He had survived a year and half without seeing her nor thinking about her; he was sure he couldn't do the same with Penny.

It was appalling how much Penny had changed him, and he didn't even notice it.

* * *

_"Sometimes, when I'm by myself, I reminisce about the first time we actually spent time together."_

_"I've always regretted letting you go and turning down your offer to leave. I regretted it the moment you walked out the door, and I still regret it."_

_"I was wrong, and I know that I still love you, Sheldon."_

Penny shook her head in frustration as Sheldon walked beside her, telling her about the acquaintances he made throughout the night.

"... The representatives of Brayden-Stork Incorporated showed great interest in further expanding both the Picobus line, and the pharmaceuticals department. Why those two I'm not quite sure." Sheldon told her while she barely listened, instead focusing on how much she wanted to kill that  _bitch_.

She didn't mean to have so little faith in Sheldon- she wanted to walk over and show that no good bitch that  _she_  was the one that Sheldon wanted! She really did want to, but she just couldn't. When she saw her take his hand- she had just had enough! At first she thought that of course, Sheldon would decline her offer, he's happy with her, right? Then as their conversation became longer, the pain just continued to grow up until she couldn't take it anymore. In the end, she had waited until the woman left before returning to their table, pretending to not have seen nor heard a part of the encounter. Sheldon didn't tell her about meeting her, and instead prattled on and on about business. Whether he said yes or no, she didn't want to hear about it, heck she didn't even want to go back- but she had to. Every fiber of her being was yelling at her, demanding that she talk to him about that woman. Unfortunately for them, she wasn't going to take the chance of him telling her that it's over. She wasn't going to allow herself to see the output of the mess she started.

Maybe after this trip, she could move here in New York! Or in Chicago, or Seattle, or something.

God, she was so pathetic! Sheldon wouldn't leave her - she knew that - but that woman was the first person he may have loved! And her? She wasn't even sure if Sheldon loved her! Yeah, she was his girlfriend but maybe he just did it to get over  _her_! Why did she have to think about it this way? Didn't she have complete utter faith that her boyfriend would return to her? Well, no, but that was because she was paranoid! She didn't know why, and she didn't care! All she cared was that she couldn't bear to think of Sheldon and that woman together, happily. She couldn't lose him, because she loved him! But apparently that conniving bitch loved him, too! And Sheldon was always bad at making decisions like that. The other day while they were at the mall, she asked him if he wanted to buy the Flash or the Batman socks- and he could only get one because he already had one of each. His face ticked and he kept on explaining to himself why he had to get the other one. He got both, of course, and she just shook her head at his craziness.

"... And so I said, maybe we could do business with them like we had done with Frampton. What they don't know is that we  _acquired_ Frampton!"

Penny felt herself frown as Sheldon let out a breathy laugh, seemingly proud of the joke he made. She pried her hand from his arm, causing him to stop laughing and a look of concern occupying his face. "Penny, are you alright? Did my joke upset you? I just thought that you might  _get it_  since we know what really happened with Frampton and they-" Without even bothering to let him finish, she spun her heel around, walking opposite the direction of the elevators. What went over her, she didn't know, but what she did know was that she wanted to get away from him.

"Penny!" Sheldon called from behind her, and she quickened her pace. "Why are you running away from me?" She nodded at the doorman as he opened the door for her, shivering as the cold air met with her revealing dress. She really should have thought this through- a coat would be nice to defend her against the temperature. "I just thought I'd go out for a jog, is all!" Oh, she hoped that he bought that lie, cause it was freezing outside and she would love to just walk back in. "In your heels? Penny, stop running or else it might bre-"

_Snap_

Sheldon leaped towards her, grabbing her arm to support her up as her heel rolled on the pavement, a few feet away from her. "I told you that the height of your heels would duly cause you harm." He straightened her up, barely noticing how her head hung low- and that there were tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't even remember when she had started crying! Why did she have to be so weak when it came to him?  _I am pathetic,_  she growled to herself as she clutched Sheldon's arm for support. She was  _fucking_  pathetic- she wasn't supposed to cry over something that she wasn't even sure about! If Sheldon chose  _her_  he would have left by now, even if he was just finishing up business, he would have  _left_. Why was she so insecure?

"Penny? Why are you crying? Don't you have another pair of those heels at home? If you don't, we can always buy another one. If it makes you feel better, we'll buy more! I know how much you love shoe shopping," Sheldon suggested, still guessing on why she was crying.

 _Home,_ she thought as she raised her gaze,  _he thought of my place as home._

"I'm not sure of the protocol here," he muttered in distress, arching his back to level his face with hers. "Did I do something to upset you, Penny? Please don't cry. Tell me what's wrong, and I shall do something about it." The blonde slowly lifted her gaze, finally meeting his before roughly pushing him away from her. She reached down to her feet, removing both of her stilettos off her feet. "The problem, Sheldon? The problem is you!" Penny snarled, moving back from him. Sheldon raised an eyebrow, startled at her accusation. "Me? What did I do? I agreed to go as your date, I wore this hideous outfit, I danced with you- did I displease you? If so, please tell me, Penny. I am confused as to what is happening, and would like to know what's wrong."

"Why don't you get  _her_  to tell you what's wrong?" She sneered in anger, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Penny, you are making a scene," Sheldon said as he grabbed her arm, which she quickly pulled back. "No! This is my hotel and I can make a scene if I want to! Just go back to her, she's practically begging for you to go back to her!" She didn't care if she was making a scene, she wanted to and so she would! There were just some things you can't hide when you're mad. Even if she stopped here and went back to their room, she would never be able to confront him again. She needed to know for herself what that woman meant to him, what she meant to him. It was times like this when she just needed to face the problem head on. She wanted to get rid of the doubt that was troubling her. It was now or never.

"Just go back to her, Sheldon."

Sheldon straightened his posture, his face cold with realization of what she was talking about. She could see how he clenched his jaw- he was not happy with her. Well, he never really was happy with her. "I must admit that I am startled to hear that you knew about the encounter earlier." He said, glancing at the passersby and the staff who were pretending not to watch them. "And am disappointed that you are accusing me of something impossible, yet again."

Penny couldn't deny that it was her fault, with her acting more of a tyrant than an actual lover- and her getting jealous over everything. That was the only way she knew how - her way of showing that she cared - and she wished that he understood that. He might have, since he was still with her, but it could also be force of habit. For an entire year and a half, they had done everything together, so much that they knew each other more than they knew anyone else. But there was a chance that really didn't know each other at all. He never told her about  _her_  and she never told him about her past exploits. Amy had once told her that it was better that there were things that they didn't know about each other, but she just didn't know. Maybe she needed to fix herself first, turn over a new leaf and start fresh. Maybe she needed to tell him everything that he wants and doesn't want to know. There were a lot of ways to solve her problem, she just didn't know which was the right one.

"It heavily frustrates me at how you continuously accuse me of such things, Penny. Normally, I would simply allow it, but the circumstances are occurs to me that you are expecting me to say something, and so I shall." He took a step towards her, his eyes never leaving hers. "Exactly one year, five months and fifteen days ago, I met you at my office. You were a foul mouthed nuisance that I so desperately wanted to get rid of. Then, two days later, we met again at my welcoming party. You were still a foul mouthed nuisance that I wanted to get rid of, the only change was that you compelled me to do as you say or else I would suffer. Months passed, and soon I found you quite favorable, and had even grown accustomed to you and your crazy, unpredictable behavior." Penny snorted at his comment, earning a glare from him- if anyone was crazy, it would be him. Their first meeting was still fresh in her memory, and sometimes, she wondered if she hadn't acted like a botch then, would Sheldon still have ended up with her.

"As I was saying, you had quickly became a friend and an important person in my life. You had become my best friend, regardless of how ruthless you were behind the scenes." She let out a small chuckle, maybe she was a bit cruel to him. Her calling him her dog and forcing him to call her master and run around doing errands. He  _hated_  her, and she found herself getting more and more interested in him. His days as her dog were some of her most favorite memories, and no, she is not a sadist. She just found everything about him fun, and it was a bit hard to believe that over a year had passed. Time really does fly by when you're having fun. "Then you organized that terrible- thing, and that was when I decided that I would be better off ridding myself of you."  _The orgy_ , she thought. If there was one thing she would redo, it would be that. She had acted so foolish, and she was currently acting foolish. When she would learn her lesson, she didn't know. "Then a month later, I realized that I couldn't be without you. I realized that no matter how much I tried, I would not be able to pretend that you are not part of my routine, or my schedule, or my life." The karaoke bar incident- that, was something she may not ever want to forget. Drunk or not, it was the day that she realized that he meant more to her than she originally intended.

"When Howard saw us, and you started firing back at each other," Sheldon shook his head, and she agreed that that was a bit out of hand. "I was torn between you and my friends. I didn't want to lose my friends, nor lose you- I needed all of you, even if it only be for the Picobus. Which was what brought us to another misunderstanding- the one where you ignored me up until the symposium. I tried calling you several times, I tried visiting you, but you turned me away. You do not know how  _irritated_  I was with you, and how much I forced myself to give you what you wanted. What stopped me from doing what I wanted, was the memory of you telling me that you loved me." The shower, her sudden rage at his secretary and her pushing him away. Those were her darkest days, and Amy could prove how much she wanted him back. How much she wanted to apologize and return to the way things were.

"It bothered me at how you said it so easily, and it made me wonder if I ever understood what love was. If I had ever felt it. Then at the symposium, I realized that I did have feelings for you. Strong, affectionate feelings that I was unfamiliar with and often pondered about. Then, you became my girlfriend, and I experienced a happiness I  _never_  felt before. Which was quickly ruined by you lying to me about the dates your sister set up, and why you hid our relationship. I never intended to hurt you by going on a date with Alex, I merely wanted you to feel how I felt. Jealousy - that is - the feeling that I wanted to get rid of, the one I did not understand. The one that drove both of us to understand that we must be honest with each other. And so, I must also be honest with you, as you have with me."

Sheldon gently took her hand, intertwining it with his and she felt her beat thumping against her chest. She barely registered how a handful of people were intently watching them, waiting for what would happen next. She didn't care, of course, because all she could think about was how something big was going to happen.  _Something_  that might finally make her shut up about all of her accusations and doubts on Sheldon, the one that might stop her from getting jealous.

"Penny, years ago, I would never have done the things I do now. I would never have made friends, nor learned to stand up for them as I did before. I would never had considered change as possible, and would have never thought of even staying at someone else's house unless it was a crucial situation. I would have never be able to speak in front of hundreds of people who could kill me." He brought her hands up to his chest, releasing them before placing it on his chest. "I would also have never thought that I'd care for someone as much as I do for you, Penny. Love had always been a trivial and confusing to me, and I had never found a reason as to why such exists. But now I understand," he furrowed his eyebrows, tightening his grip on her hands. "I understand that love is when you can't bear to be apart from someone; it's when just a simple glance at that person gives you happiness, it's when I can't even comprehend the thought of me being with someone that isn't you, Penny. It took a long time for me to understand, but now I do."

"Are you saying that...?" Penny asked, waiting, wishing, hoping that he was going to say what she had been waiting to hear, all this time. Sheldon nodded, his blue eyes gazing down at hers.

"Yes, Penny, I'm saying that I love you. I'm a fool for not realizing it earlier, and I ask that you forgive me. I just, I just-" he tore his eyes away from hers, staring at the floor underneath them. "I just wanted to know that I love you, Penny." Penny placed a hand on his cheek, turning his face to meet hers. "For a genius, I think you talk too much." She reached forward, giving him a soft kiss before pulling back. "But, I love you too, Sheldon." Then she pulled him down for another kiss.

All of her doubts and worries were thrown out the window, gathered together, then burned until there wasn't a trace of it left.  _She_  was the stupid one, Sheldon had been nothing but faithful to her and it was her who questioned their relationship. It was her who ruined them -  _but_  she was going to change all of that, for good. She loved Sheldon and he loved her; that was the missing piece in the puzzle. It was the only thing she doubted, and now, she knew that she was wrong. Love was what she never felt with anyone before, and that no longer mattered. It irked her how she had to go through all of those relationships just to find what she had been looking for since the start, a guy who didn't care about her power, nor her looks, that liked her for being the imperfect, messy, lazy, spoiled, careless,  _slightly_  promiscuous and unsure person that she was. Sheldon would probably add more insensitively thought of traits, but that was unimportant. What she needed all along was an arrogant, cocky, condescending, selfish, short tempered, rude, genius that screams at the sight of a spider.

How they managed to work, was a mystery. They just  _did_.

"Sheldon, I'm so sorry for doubting you. I just- I just thought that you'd choose her, but I shouldn't have and I'm sorry." Penny cried as Sheldon pulled away from her, an eyebrow slightly raised. "I'm sorry that I overreact all the time- I never even give you a chance to defend yourself. I don't know why I keep doing this, pitting myself against you." Sheldon shook his head as she broke the other heel of her shoe, she could get another one. "There is nothing to apologize for, I believe I am at fault as well for not making my intentions clear to you. Now please," he dug into his pocket, handing her a handkerchief that he reserved for emergencies. "Stop crying, I do not respond well to tears, especially yours. Oh, and jealousy does not suit you, Penny, please remember that." She softly hit his chest- recalling how he had once told her that. "But, if you must know, I would never choose her over you. It is only you who understands and respects my hobbies and spends time to further understand them."  _It's a compliment_ , she told herself as Sheldon smiled down at her. "Plus, it would be a shame to lose my greatest rival in HALO, or my lieutenant in the field of paintball."

"Are those the only reasons why you love me?" Penny teased, wiping the last of her tears off her cheeks. "Of course not! Those are only perks that I greatly enjoy, and that are of my advantage. Though, you beating me at HALO is not an advantage of any kind. There is only a limited number of times that I can withstand you blowing my head up," Penny watched as he winced slightly, chuckling at how troubled he was with her being a better gamer than him. He really was a Whackadoodle, but he was  _her_  Whackadoodle.

"Sheldon, Penny!" They both turned to the entrance - the staff and passersby returning to what they were originally doing - where Amy and the others passed through, rushing over to them. "We heard that there was a couple arguing," Leonard said, trying to catch his breath as he spoke. "And there was no doubt that it was you two, so we got here as quickly as we could!" Howard looked around before clucking his tongue at them. "I told you we were too late! We missed all of the action!"

"Oh, shut up Howard," Raj hissed, shaking his head at his best friend. "What happened? From the murmurs of the onlookers, it seemed to be a heated discussion. I don't see anything wrong here." Penny slipped her (now uneven) shoes then turned to face their friends. "Just something that needed to be discussed. But things are okay now." She glanced up at her boyfriend for approval, who simply nodded. "I believe it is time for us to return to our rooms," Sheldon said, taking her arm into his, "we still have some sightseeing to do tomorrow, isn't that right, Raj?" The aforementioned man giddily nodded, smiling and clapping his hands. "Yes! I have an awesome itinerary for our last day, and you're going to love it!" Raj told them as they entered the lobby, making their way to the elevators.

Hours later, after everyone else had gone to bed; Sheldon found himself wide awake, pondering about the events of the day. What if he had agreed to go with  _her_? What if he was never fired from Calder? What if he never met Penny? There were so many questions that he wasn't certain about, and he wasn't sure if wanted to know the answers. The physicist in him believed that, in several parallel universes, he knew the answer to each of them. He turned to Penny, who was snoring softly next to him, and whispered, "I love you."

The blonde didn't wake up, but when she turned and placed an arm around him, he knew that she heard him.


	15. Lucky Penny

Sheldon smiled at his newly organized desk. He had his writing materials to the right of his desk, as it was easier to reach with him being right-handed. He had his papers, files, staplers, etc. to the left so that he could grab them in one swift motion even while writing.

He spun his chair around, facing the window that framed the city. The view from the twenty first floor was even more spectacular than the view that his previous office had. His new office was huge- way bigger than the previous one he had. He even had his own bathroom! He somewhat missed his old office, but this was more than satisfactory. The one floor difference between the two offices changed everything. The people walking stories below were like ants, and he really felt like the mayor of SimCity. Well, he was something close to that.

He could  _definitely_  get used to this.

Sheldon leaned back against his chair as he heard someone approach his office door,  _Vulcan hearing_.

"Where the hell is my laundry, Chris?"

He spun his chair, frowning at the person in front of him. A blonde, in her mid twenties, wearing an ensemble of clashing colors that only she would have appreciated.  _It's the current fashion trend_ , she would probably say, but there was nothing fashionable about it, and could use a superhero emblem somewhere.

"Excuse me miss, it is quite rude to not knock," he said, "and my name is not Chris."

The blonde crossed his arms, then grinned. "And I'm not a  _miss_ , I'm Mrs. Cooper- Penny Cooper." She made her way towards his desk, placing her hands on the edge and leaning against it. "Or have you forgot about that,  _Mr. Cooper?_ "

Sheldon stared at his  _wife_ , and found himself shocked at how three years had flown by so quickly. After two years, Wyatt had decided to finally retire, and promoted him as the president and CEO of Penbark WG, one of the largest companies in the world. The Frampton acquisition was more than successful, and less than a year ago, all of the new Penbark hotels in both Europe and Asia had been opened. The Picobus had dominated the electronics scene - much to the joy of his Penbark team - and they had even expanded to making games. With Howard's skills, Raj's ambition, Leonard's creativity and  _his_  strategic mind, they had invented the first actual virtual RPG that allowed players to jump into the game. But it wasn't anything like the anime they had watched, it was a bit more realistic. It didn't required a helmet like the the devices similar to it it used a wireless set of goggles that made the players feel like they were in the game. Then a far more advanced system than the  _Kinect_ , that is more accurate in detecting the player's actions, are how you move in the game. It wasn't as futuristic as they originally planned, but it was a start. Plus, unlike the anime, no one would be trapped in the game.

Penny - who was extremely reluctant to become president - was promoted to vice president, which she wasn't too happy with. Once she heard about the news, she frowned and asked her father if she really had to. Sheldon, the wonderful fiancé that he was, insisted that she would only bear the title, and she could simply focus on her clothing line. Penny was happy to hear about it, and focused on the clothing department, which was doing great. Various well known designers even offered to make collections for her line, and Penny was beyond ecstatic to accept. She even became a recurring judge in one of the shows she loved,  _Project Runway_. Due to her television exposure, and her reputable name, there were several rumors about her and male celebrities. Sheldon paid no mind to it, of course, as he trusted Penny completely. The paparazzi eventually backed off, but he wasn't surprised when rumors rose despite the fact that their relationship was known by everyone. Penny was a socialite, and an heiress to the biggest corporation around.

Because of that, Sheldon decided to act on it.

It was during a business trip in Paris, nine months ago, where the new hotel would open. They were walking down the street when Penny saw a bridal store and nearly drooled when a woman came out of the dressing room, wearing what she deemed as the perfect wedding dress. Sheldon didn't care, of course, and they made their way to the restaurant that her family was at. That night, before they went to bed, he saw Penny sketching the dress she saw by memory, and inevitably failed. The length of the dress was wrong, as well as the design, but he still paid no attention to what she was doing. What made him  _really_  think of proposing, was when Penny went shopping, and he was alone in their room, surfing channels and had stopped at the channel where  _Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer_  was playing. It wasn't his favorite Marvel bunch nor his favorite movie, but Reed and Susan's wedding struck him, and an idea came to mind.

A great engagement ring would be one that was shaped into the Green Lantern insignia!

That, was quickly rejected by Leonard who he had called right as he thought of it. It was followed by Leonard yelling over the phone, asking if he was planning on proposing to Penny. It was then that he thought it over carefully. Did he like having Penny around? He didn't have to answer the question since he already lived at her place. Was he okay with being with Penny for the rest of his life? He wouldn't rule it out, he had already spent the last three years together, and there was nothing wrong with it. Would it be okay if because of him not asking, Penny breaks up with him and finds solitude in some other man's arm? Of course not! And so, after a long trail of thought and a few sips of tea, he said yes. Which was again, followed by Leonard yelling on the phone, telling him that he was happy for him.

And so, he spent the next few weeks preparing everything he needed for the proposal.

He went ring shopping with Bailey and Gregg, who quickly shot down the idea of a ring like Green Lantern's. After nearly a day of ring shopping, he found the perfect - yet quite expensive for something that looked so plain - ring that he would give to Penny. He asked Wyatt's permission for him to propose to Penny, who merely replied with, "is she finally pregnant?" She wasn't of course, and Wyatt sighed and said that it was okay for him to propose, and that they were waiting for it to happen for a year now. Then he told his mother about it, who squealed and announced that she would be praying with her prayer circle that Penny says yes. He also told his Meemaw about it, and his beloved grandmother told him that he would be a fool not to ask Penny to marry him. His family had loved Penny, his brother even attempting to woo her when they had first met her. His Meemaw had told him that Penny was his "lucky penny," and she was happy that he was happy. His mother had even thrown a party at their house and invited everyone she knew to celebrate the fact that he had a girlfriend. Sheldon had planned on leaving the second the party started, but Penny stopped him, telling him that she was enjoying herself. Like he once thought, Penny would be the death of him.

Sheldon also opted to tell Amy, but he knew that she couldn't keep a secret like that and would eventually blurt it out to Penny.

For the proposal, Leonard suggested that he put the ring inside her food. But what if Penny was hungry and devoured everything and choked and died? Howard suggested that he just bend down on one knee and propose, but Raj quickly rejected that and told him that he was hopeless. Raj, the self proclaimed romance expert that he was, suggested that Sheldon take Penny to the first place they met, give her a heartfelt speech and propose to her there, with the entire group backing him up. He then told him that he first met her in his office and there was  _nothing_  romantic about it. At all. Then, as if it was, as Raj says - magic - Alex entered his office with a stack of papers he needed to sign. She had overheard the entire conversation (her desk  _was_  right outside his office) and told him of something none of them thought of. Raj sighed saying that it was romantic, Leonard cheered, talking about how her idea was absolutely brilliant and Howard uninterestedly agreed, without another word.

Three weeks later, Penbark's clothing line held a fashion show.

Everyone from the office was there, including his friends from Texas, Amy and his family. The fashion show included several famous designers that Penny was friends with. The stage was filled with model after model, strutting an array of beautiful clothes that would be launched for the season. Near the end of the event, they had a special guest- who, Penny didn't know. Then, he came out - donning the suit that she forced him to wear in New York - with a bouquet of roses in one hand, and a velvet box hidden in the other. He had originally thought of just mailing the ring to Penny, but again, his friends rejected the idea. Once he reached the end of the ramp, Wyatt led Penny - who had a confused look on her face - up in front of him. He took one last glance at his Meemaw and mother, who seemed to be praying before taking a deep breath.

Sheldon knelt down on one knee - like Howard suggested - and took Penny's trembling hand then brought the velvet box out of his pocket, opening it and lifting the ring towards her. "Penny, will you marry me?" He wasn't surprised when Penny hugged him, crying in his arms. "Yes! Yes, I will marry you, Sheldon!" What did surprise him, was how he struggled to  _not_  cry as he slid the ring on Penny's fourth finger. And how Raj broke down in front of the stage, insinuating a group hug on the ramp, which most of their close friends and family members joined in on. He also found it slightly embarrassing when he saw them in the news, but that was mostly because Penny was famous. He never knew that he was the boyfriend- fiancé of a famous socialite.

They got married at the garden at the resort in Napa Valley, the same one he dragged her through when he was drunk and jealous. Penny, Barbara, their mother, his mother, Amy and  _Raj_  were the one who planned the wedding. Penny's wedding dress, was the one they saw in Paris, and the one he bought after his decision to propose. When he showed her the dress, she cried - and so did Raj and the other women - and he found himself disinterested in wedding planning, and left it with them. Penny had wanted a simple wedding at the garden with Raj and Amy pursuing the "fairytale" theme. There was nothing simple about their wedding which consisted of more than a hundred guests; his family, her family,  _the employees_ , her friends, Penbark's business associates, and several paparazzi that were tipped off about their wedding.

When Penny emerged from behind the walls of the garden, Sheldon had found himself unable to look at anyone else. He had even had the urge to cry and faint. Unlike their family, and Raj, he held back his tears, but found himself incredibly nervous. Penny had been  _beautiful_ , more beautiful than she had ever been, and he could not believe that he was marrying her. Heck, he couldn't believe that he was even getting married. He barely even cared about the minister who was marrying them, and it was Penny who broke him out of his trance to say his vows. He stared at the blonde as the man beside them babbled on and all he could think about was how they had gotten so far. From the woman he hated the most to his bride- all in a short span of three years. He wondered if he ever thought that they would get that far. They often fought, and some were serious ones, but somehow, they always fixed their relationship. No one understood how, but they just did. At the end of his trail of thought, they were married, and became Mr. and Mrs. Cooper.

Married life was no different from their life before they were married. The only differences were that she was now  _Mrs. Cooper_  and he no longer feared his mother finding out that he was "sinning." That, and the fact that he moved in with her completely, finally saying goodbye to his apartment. Wyatt had even offered that they live with him, or that he buys them a house of their own, which probably meant one that was next to his and Barbara's - who, had finally reconciled with her husband, Hank. They had declined the offer, especially since they were still happy with the extremely safe penthouse of theirs. Another small change was that he was often forced to join her at various events she attended. Other than that, nothing changed between them, they still stuck to their routine, and hung out with his friends.

Three years had flown by so quickly, but he found himself enjoying each and every day of it.

"Sadly, I have not, as it has barely been a month since we were married." Sheldon answered, opening his laptop to check his e-mail. Now that he was president, he was busier than he ever was. "So, what brings you here? Have you not enjoyed your new office? I am sure that you have several fond memories of us there." He saw her smirk at his comment, his old office was now hers, and her old one was used as the clothing department's drafting room. "Oh, I love it but I just thought of visiting you here in your new one." Penny looked around at the large office then turned back to him. "And I needed to tell you something important. It was fortunate that I met Alex on the way here, cause I thought that you were out, and she informed me that you were here."

Penny no longer hated Alex who was still his secretary- she was the best secretary there was, and he wasn't going to allow Bernadette to get her. Howard and Bernadette were now engaged, and were getting married at the end of the year. Penny also no longer hated Howard, and Howard no longer doubted Penny. They became friends nearly one year back when Howard and Bernadette had a fight, and Penny had helped them fix their relationship, as she had become close friends with the pharmaceuticals head. Leonard was dating Amy, which did not surprise them due to the bond they formed in New York, and Raj was dating a friend of his sister's. He and Amy frequently spent time together going to symposiums and attending lectures that Penny didn't care about. Even if he had given up on being a physicist, he still loved science, and Amy was his science buddy. Penny no longer got jealous of anyone, and was even friends with Alex, which was great. Gregg and Bailey often dropped by their office, catching up with him and Penny, and sometimes joining them out for paintball. He didn't know much about his old friends' personal lives, but if they didn't tell him about it, it meant that it wasn't anything serious. They were all present at their wedding; Leonard the best man - since Gregg declined for a reason that was irrelevant - and Amy the maid of honor.

Unlike the Sheldon that first entered Penbark, he had friends, lots of them. He was even became friends with some of the dates that Barbara set up for Penny, even Zack who often tried to hang out with him. He was making friends with most of the employees, and even Penny had become kinder to the employees, now that the vice presidents rumors were gone. He wasn't as introverted and antisocial as he used to be, and that was all thanks to the blonde in front of him.

"And what is this important thing you need to tell me?" Sheldon asked as Penny sat down on one of the chairs in front of his desk. "If it's more news about that show of yours, I'd be more than happy to not watch it. There is a limited number of times where I can watch people argue because of a dress." Penny raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening into a wide smile.

"I'm pregnant!"

Sheldon fainted, but Penny knew that he was ecstatic.

* * *

Sheldon believed in the many worlds theory where he and Penny existed in various alternate universes.

In one of the worlds, Sheldon might have never met Penny. They could have often crossed paths, but never got the chance to meet.

In another world, no matter how much they tried, Sheldon and Penny never got together. They might have been friends, or colleagues, but something would have always stopped them from getting together.

In a parallel world, Sheldon was a successful physicist, Penny was an aspiring actress and they were neighbors, and it was still uncertain if they would ever have a happy ending. They could if they wanted to, but both of them were too caught up with their own lives to realize what was between them.

That in several of the infinite number worlds were they existed, they might not have even liked each other nor became as happy as they were in this one. But after nearly half a year later, when Penny gave birth to their twins, Sheldon realized that he no longer cared about the many worlds that the two of them could have existed in. The math no longer mattered, and he didn't care if the Penny from the alternate world was less messy.

All he knew was that in this world, where they had started out with him hating her, his life was  _perfect_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin.


End file.
